It's Your Play Now
by WritinginTandem
Summary: Hinata loved basketball, but everyone had a breaking point- as forgiving as Hinata is, there are some things that he won't stand for. Meanwhile, Kuroko is still reeling at the sheer brutality of Teiko's match against Ogiwara. So when Hinata's family moved back to the countryside, well, nobody said Kuroko couldn't join him.
1. Seeking Brighter Skies

**Hey guys!**

 **So this story starts at the end of Kuroko and Hinata's final year at Teiko. Here, Hinata had moved to Tokyo with his family for a couple years, and spent those at Teiko with Kuroko and the rest of the Generation of Miracles. :) Those years aren't directly part of this story, so I won't be writing them, and we're going to get straight to the good stuff!**

 ** _(You'll get to learn about Hinata and Kuroko's time together the farther in we go, along with the others in the story. The specifics aren't that pertinent to the development, so there wont be a whole lot of in depth study of their pasts. This story does have a full plot though, and it doesn't just follow one of the stories or the other. This is a true cross over, with a whole lot of convoluted stuff getting thrown down by both sides. And it's already well on its way to complete, with side stories and everything, so put this up on your alerts, cause we're going places people!)_**

* * *

"I can't do this anymore."

The words barely ghosted past his lips- irrationally, he wanted someone to be able to hear them, to reassure him that this wasn't really happening. The cynical part of him quipped that someone hearing him was pretty much as probable as someone seeing him- that is, not much.

It hadn't been long since the disastrous match between Teiko and Meiko, where his team had beat down his best friend and drove him out of basketball forever. Maybe a month? It felt like an eternity.

His team didn't need him anymore, that much was certain from the way only half came to practice and the rest didn't put in much effort.

Even if they had needed him, he didn't know if he could've brought himself to play on the same court as them. He got a lump in his throat and his heart threatened to pound out of his chest every time he thought about it. The thought of playing on the same team that had completely destroyed Ogiwara's love for basketball was . . . unbearable.

- _They're your team you can't abandon them, can't abandon basketball, **don't quit don't quit why why why**_ -

Time seemed to speed by and drag at the same time. Every time he looked at the clock it seemed it hadn't moved a millimeter but weeks had flown by without him noticing.

It was just . . . nothing seemed to change. Nobody else seemed to have been affected at all by what had happened. Why weren't they affected? He was still reeling, still trying to come to terms with the way the world had suddenly tilted on its head, and they were all able to go on with their days as if _nothing had changed._

But then.

Then Hinata didn't come to practice.

He should look into it. It made no sense. Even if the rest of the Miracles didn't try, even if half of them skipped on a regular basis, Hinata had never given anything less than 100% to basketball.

He did nothing. Hinata was just like the rest of them, it turned out.

If he ended up using misdirection in the hallways more than usual, who was going to know? Who would even notice that he had gone missing? Certainly not the Miracles.

* * *

He was so blind. How could he be so blind? He was normally so good at picking up on people's emotions, so good at reading them and making sure he didn't overstep his boundaries.

So how? How had he made the mistake of _lumping Hinata in with the rest of the Miracles?_ He had known. Known from the beginning Hinata wasn't like the rest. Hinata wasn't all honed power and genius skills. He was rash, and brave, and reckless, and pure reflex, but he wasn't _a Miracle anything like the Miracles he was sunshine while they were darkness and rain and terror._

It had taken him weeks to notice that Hinata didn't have the bounce in his step like he normally did. It was obvious, if he had just looked. The usually peppy orange haired boy might as well have had lead feet with how heavy his steps were.

It only took a glance after that to see the dark bags under his eyes - _he had never been able to sleep well before matches but this was different_ \- the new tremor that was in his hands, allowing the ball he normally carried with him to slide to the floor time after time, the way he never spoke more than a word to anyone at one time.

Instantly, Kuroko felt his heart drop in his chest.

Of course. Hinata was just as much a part of the team as Kuroko had been - _extra not used forgotten_ \- Unlike the rest, though, Hinata hadn't let his talent go to his head. He had only wanted to play for the team.

Like Kuroko.

He felt sick. He had pulled away from Hinata just as much as the rest, when Hinata looked like he needed the company even more than he did. - _Not again, never again. First Ogiwara, and now Hinata as well, why did he keep doing this-_

The day came when he went to hand in his resignation for basketball. It was too quiet, with no Hinata or Murasakibara or _Aomine_ , and it had hurt just to hear the sound of a basketball bouncing, of it swooshing through the hoop.

Hinata walked up to him the same sheet of paper in hand, eyes understanding and haunted, shoulders hunched as if trying to swallow himself whole. Kuroko had cracked a little caring smile, one that seemed to lift the guilt and terror and replace it with childlike wonder.

Then, with a hand gently tugging Hinata's paper out of his grip, he added it to his and laid them both on the desk.

* * *

They didn't see much of each other in the next couple weeks, but it wasn't because he was avoiding Hinata this time. If anything, he began going out of his way to make sure the oranget ate and kept up on his homework - _milkshakes left on his desk and little sticky note reminders_.- He told himself he wasn't avoiding anything, but Hinata still reminded him a bit too much of what he'd lost. Soon. He'd be able to talk to him again soon. He just-needed a bit more time.

Graduation found Hinata's head of orange bobbing through the crowd towards him. Kuroko was surprised to see him walking so determinately, the fire that had been missing from his own eyes crackling tentatively in Hinata's.

"I'm going to Karasuno." Hinata said. "I played volleyball in elementary school, and I loved it back then. . . I think . . . I think I could love it again." Kuroko nodded.

It went unspoken that he couldn't love basketball again. Kuroko had anticipated that much, and while a part of him ached that Hinata, who had loved basketball so much, had become turned off by it as well, - _stupid Miracles, they've moved on from enemies to teammates. When will it end?-_

Besides, who was he to judge, when he couldn't even bear to be around the court?

In a tentative voice - _he had promised not to leave Hinata behind, the shadows that had been plaguing the oranget were gone now, or at least buried under determination, so strong why couldn't he be strong_ \- he said, "I could help you practice."

A spark of hope lit in Hinata's eyes that had Kuroko's heart aching but also felt- curiously - like something was sliding into place. Like shifting gears. Like change.

He dared to hope. Maybe. Maybe, like Hinata, he could find the will to love a sport again. He may never forgive basketball for taking away so much - _Ogiwara, his and Aomine's bond, Hinata's happiness-_ but he could definitely help Hinata move forward.

* * *

Summer seemed to go by in a flash. Hinata wanted to spend every spare moment practicing, whether it be with the neighborhood volleyball ladies or alone with Kuroko.

Kuroko didn't know how anyone managed to resist Hinata's puppy dog eyes. Too often, Kuroko let himself be tugged along hour after hour as Hinata ran, spiked, and trained.

Most days he went home too exhausted to even think- but, if he were being completely honest with himself, he didn't really mind that. If training all day was a way to keep the dark thoughts from swirling endlessly in his brain, than that's what he would do.

Besides, those hours did not go to waste. Not only did his stamina slowly increase, but he got a front row seat to volleyball chasing the shadows from Hinata's eyes.

Besides, they didn't spend all their time on practicing. Training ended up balanced with runs to Maji Burger, countless vanilla milkshakes, and often meandering conversations that lasted for hours.

Kuroko learned a lot about Hinata that summer, but most of all about Hinata's idol the Little Giant. Kuroko secretly admired the volleyball player, if not for getting Hinata out of his funk, then his determination to win in a sport of height. Not that he would ever tell Hinata that- the orangette's obsession was big enough.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon, and Hinata and Kuroko were finishing up practice- they always finished with receives nowadays. Hinata's needed the extra practice.

"Ne, Hinata," Kuroko started, thinking through his words. He had thought of it ages ago, when he had first sent applications to the different schools. But the idea had only been a seedling then. If he was honest, it had grown on him every hour he had spent in Hinata's company. "What would you say if . . ." He paused, uncertain. Hinata's head tilted in question.

It wasn't a question of being welcome. He knew Hinata. There was a part of him, though, that wondered if - if he could pull the Generation of Miracles down from their thrones, one by one, if he just found the right team. To make them acknowledge their mistakes, to make them acknowledge _his_ basketball.

But he had made a promise.

Steeling himself, he finished quickly, "How would you feel if I came to Karasuno with you?"

At Hinata's blank stare he hurried onwards. "I know it was your dream to go to the same school as the Little Giant but . . . but I started liking volleyball," Hours and hours of practice over the summer, the same pleasure of points scored, of exertion, of success, but completely different, because in volleyball, you _couldn't_ score alone.

Even the Ace needed help from his teammates, even the ones who scored the points couldn't have done it without others playing their parts. "And I- I don't want to be left alone again."

Hinata was blinking rapidly. Doubt made his gut churn, his feet shift underneath him. He had been so sure Hinata wouldn't mind, but maybe he had read him wrong? Did he really only want someone to practice with him this summer before he could go off to a real team? _-Not welcome not wanted not needed-_

But then Hinata was bounding forward, the lead weights that had once weighed down his feet completely gone for the first time since this whole thing started. In a motion to fast to even see Hinata was wrapped around him and spinning around and around.

"Yatta! I was hoping you would come, but I wasn't sure! You never said what school you were going to so I assumed you would be going to knock some heads- cuz you always looked mad anytime you saw a basketball- and you could totally do it to cuz you're awesome." Hinata stopped spinning, leaving him to find his balance as he started to grin.

"But now you're coming to the same school as _me_ and are you gonna join the Volleyball Club with me? Cuz that would be _awesome_ you could totally be on the team and like set to me and stuff and then when the other team isn't looking we could set for _you_ and you could spike like _Wham!_ And they'd never know what hit 'em and- this is gonna be _awesome_ , just wait and see!"

Kuroko merely watched in wonder as his chest loosened. He wasn't wrong- he _was_ wanted. Hinata wanted him to come. Had _hoped_ for it, in fact. The thought brought a feeling he couldn't describe, and in that moment, tinged with relief and hope and genuine happiness he hadn't felt since _that_ match, he smiled.

It wasn't his usual one, he could tell that right away. It wasn't playing at the edge of his lips, it wasn't a suppressed smirk or grin. It cracked his face open the way Hinata's grin always had, and for a moment he just allowed himself the bliss.

After all, he didn't need misdirection around Hinata anymore _-had promised not to use it. Not leaving him alone again.-_ He could let his emotions show around his friend. And Hinata _was_ his friend, he had found. Hours and hours of practice and just hanging out had cemented that fact.

In fact. . . Looking at Hinata, he found the boy staring at him with something like wonder, his mouth hanging open. He tilted his head, brow furrowing.

"What?" He asked. What had he said?

A finger came to rest in front of his face. "You- You smiled!"

Kuroko blinked, bewildered and then bemused. He tried hard to not let his smirk show. As it was, he raised an eyebrow. "And?"

The shock was gone from Hinata's face, and was instantly replaced with ecstatic jumping and whooping. "Kuroko smiled! And he's coming to Karasuno with me! And he's joining volley!"

At that point he stopped jumping six feet in the air and looked at him. "You- You _are_ joining volley with me, right? I said that before, but I don't know if you ever said yes." He looked sheepish at this fact.

Kuroko simply nodded though. "Ah, please take care of me," He said, bowing. Hinata, in typical fashion, completely waved this off and wrapped an arm around Kuroko's neck and dragged him in the direction of Maji Burger.

"You're too stiff! But let's go! We gotta celebrate!"

Hinata chattered the entire way, bouncing intermittently, seemingly unable to contain the endless energy stored in his body.

Kuroko smiled softly as they walked along, knowing he had made the right choice. Giving up basketball was more than worth Hinata's happiness, and he had even gained something else in return. Sure, volleyball wasn't basketball, but it was something he could dedicate himself to, and who knew- maybe their new team would be better than their old one.

At least, that was the hope.

* * *

 **Aaaand t** **hat's a wrap!**

 **I should be posting weekly, so you can expect the next chapter soon!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **~Mikey And** _ **Raph**_


	2. Seeking Brighter Skies Part 2

**Hey again!**

 **So I was astounded by the reaction the first chapter got. Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and a HUGE shoutout to those who reviewed! (To the Guest who reviewed, you know who you are, and thanks to you too!) **

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter of It's Your Play Now!**

 **And because I forgot last week, here's the Disclaimer: We own neither KnB or Haikyuu!**

* * *

Miyagi, as it turned out, was almost five hours away on train. For Kuroko, who'd grown up in the strict confines of Tokyo, the distance seemed like an eternity. Still, he couldn't find the strength to be annoyed by the travel time. Instead, there was a strange sense of relief as the distance between himself and the Miracles grew by the kilometer.

It was lucky that he didn't believe in hoarding, because everything he owned had had to fit either into a suitcase or in a storage unit- and space in Japan was at a premium. Part of him had tried to reason that his parents wouldn't even notice the cost, but to him, there was no need for the expense. Not when he could just as easily donate the leftover furniture and invest in new pieces when he got to his new apartment.

Or, that had been the plan- Hinata, it seemed, had had other ideas.

"You really don't have to do this, Hinata-kun." Kuroko said, tripping slightly as his suitcase whacked his shins. "I could just as easily rent a hotel room until I find an apartment."

"Nope nope nope!" The oranget replied, skipping along and dragging him in his wake. "You're taking the spare room and that's it. And drop the -kun while you're at it. If you're staying with us, you don't have to be so formal."

"But-" He tried again, only to be interrupted once more. - _Honestly, Hinata's lack of manners more than make up for however polite I am.-_

"Look," Hinata said, turning and planting his hands on his hips. "Mom's _really_ looking forward to having you over. Believe it or not, she's heard quite a bit about you, and you refused to visit over the summer."

Kuroko shifted a little bit. It wasn't like he had been _trying_ to be rude, but Hinata had been travelling back and forth from Tokyo to Miyagi countless times to help his family move in. It hadn't made sense to Kuroko to impose while they were still trying to transition.

"Besides," Hinata continued, nodding in a satisfied way. "It's ridiculous to pay for a hotel room while you have a perfectly good, rent-free house right here!"

Kuroko sighed. Arguing with Hinata was like arguing with a brick wall, sometimes. This wasn't something worth fighting over, either. The less money he spent, the better he'd feel about moving without first notifying his parents.

"Fine, but I really do need to get an apartment closer to school." Kuroko warned. "Visiting a friend might be fine for a while, but it's not feasible long term."

Hinata waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! As long as you promise to visit! Mom said you shouldn't be eating milkshakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

Kuroko blinked at the matter-of-fact way Hinata had spoken, as if it were true just because of who had said it. The only person Kuroko had heard spoken of that way before was Akashi.

"What about you? Does she know you ate popsicles every day?" Kuroko asked.

Hinata blushed, looking away and striding forward. "O-of course she does, idiot!" The lie was perfectly evident in his stutter.

"You really shouldn't be calling me an idiot, Hinata-kun," Kuroko said, hiding his amusement under the guise of a reprimand. "I wasn't the one who almost failed his entrance exams."

Hinata spluttered and shook a fist at him, beginning a rant Kuroko only listened to with half an ear, amusement curling at the edges of his eyes.

 _-Honestly. Even getting Aomine riled up was never this fun.-_ His amusement died as quickly as milk curdling, turning sour in his stomach. The relief he felt at being far away from the Miracles was tainted by the notion that he might, in fact, just be running away.

Hinata, though, was more perceptive than people gave him credit for. The oranget flung an arm over Kuroko's shoulders, jolting him out of his darkening thoughts. "You're mean," He scoffed. "Now come on! The faster we get home the faster we get Mom's cooking!"

Kuroko blinked at the unfamiliar word Hinata had spoken with such ease.

 _Home._

He eyed the person at his side, studying the skip in his step and never ending chatter. Did Hinata realize what he had said? That he had, intentionally or not, added Kuroko into the _we_ that made up Family?

 _Maybe,_ Kuroko thought, stopping as Hinata ran forward to meet the orange bundle running at him and spinning her in the air as an older woman stayed in the doorframe, laughing at the scene. _Maybe I can have a home here._

* * *

The next couple of weeks were spent both finding and moving into a new apartment. Hinata's Mom had been shocked at the amount of stuff that he had brought, and hadn't even hesitated before throwing herself into the task of helping furnish his "new home".

Of course, that didn't stop her from inviting him over for regular meals or dragging him when he inevitably refused. That was how he had gotten here tonight, in fact, her using a "pre-school party" as an excuse to fix a veritable feast.

Finally, though, they had gotten to the point of this whole meeting _-if there even was a purpose for the party besides food and playing games.-_

"Turn for us, would you, Kuroko-san?" Hinata's Mom said from her chair, Natsu quickly taking up the chant.

"Yeah Ghost-nii-san! Turn, turn, turn!" She wiggled off her Mother's lap to demonstrate, whirling around in dizzying circles and giggling all the while.

Natsu had been cutely skeptical of him at first, poking and prodding him -' _To see if he was real!' She had wailed when Hinata had snapped at her.-_ But she had seemingly gotten used to him after him showing up nearly every night for dinner.

Obediently, _-He could see Natsu had learned how to do puppy dog eyes from her big brother, because she wielded them with deadly precision-_ Kuroko turned in a circle so they could see how his uniform fit.

"Not bad," Mayumi-san acknowledged, pulling it taught in a couple places. "Won't need any tailoring, at least. That's good." She grinned down at her energetic son, who was busy posing for Natsu, who was giggling.

" _Yours,_ on the other hand," She said, grabbing Hinata by his collar. "Will need quite a bit of work. Didn't we order a small for you as well?"

Hinata wiggled in her grip uncomfortably, trying and failing to find a position that didn't have his collar choking him. "Yeah, but it doesn't fit like Kuroko's does! I don't know why!"

Mayumi-san finally had mercy on him, but didn't let him go far, instead grabbing her sewing box from off the table where it had rested. "Well, I'm just going to have to tailor it for you. The jacket will only need to be taken in a bit, but those pants need hemmed desperately . . ." She trailed off, reaching down to roll up the bottom of Hinata's pants so they no longer dragged on the ground.

Natsu crawled into Kuroko's lap instantly as he sat down, quickly settling and tugging on his new suit. "Ghost-nii-san, can you tell me a bedtime story?"

"Now, Natsu-chan," Mayumi scolded gently, voice slightly muffled by pins stuck in between her lips. "You can go to bed without one tonight, can't you?"

Natsu's eyes filled with tears as she wrinkled his uniform with her tiny fists. "B-but, but then the monsters will get me!"

Mayumi sighed, sliding another pin into place, Hinata shifting this way and that to see what she was doing. "Daddy should be home soon, why don't you wait for him?" She asked, but her tone suggested she already knew the answer to that question.

Natsu's bottom lip began to tremble, and Mayumi sighed again. She pulled the remaining pins out of her mouth, moving to get to her feet, but Kuroko was already standing, Natsu cradled on his hip.

"I'll read to her, Mayumi-san. Consider it a thank you for helping me this past week." Kuroko said, pulling a tissue out of his pocket so Natsu didn't wipe her face on his brand new uniform.

Mayumi-san paused and then chuckled, settling on the floor again. "No thanks, please, Kuroko-san." She said, aiming a bright smile at him. "I've always wanted another son!"

He couldn't move, couldn't form words, couldn't even respond as her smile dimmed and then spread into something more gentle but no less vibrant.

He couldn't help a twitch as Natsu pulled on his hair demandingly. "Bedtime story, nii-san, bedtime story!"

That jolted him out of his reverie. He turned away from the older woman, trying to stamp down an unfamiliar feeling clogging his throat. "And what story would that be?"

She perked up, starting a list that had Hinata spluttering behind him and Mayumi sighing, but Kuroko didn't even comment before nodding his assent. He only vaguely remembered a time when he was read bedtime stories- he couldn't remember who, only that it wasn't his mother or father.

There was the sound of a door opening and a male voice calling out, both mother and son replying enthusiastically. Smiling gently, he settled down.

Family definitely wasn't something Kuroko was familiar with- not with his parents always out on business trips- but he was learning more the longer he spent in the Hinata family's company.

 _No,_ he decided, laying Natsu on his lap and cracking open a well-worn book. _I don't mind moving here too much at all._

* * *

It wasn't until he was standing in front of the school's gates that Kuroko realized he was nervous. He knew he shouldn't be- this wasn't Teiko, after all, and he was miles away from anyone he knew, with the exception of Hinata. Still, his fingers trembled slightly on his bag.

 _I'm fine,_ he tried to convince himself. _There's no Miracles here- no danger. You want to be here._

He sighed, finally forcing himself through the doors and into the hallways. The familiar crush of people around him that he wove his way through served to orient himself, somewhat. He wasn't completely out of place here, wasn't the center of attention, wasn't whispered about like he feared. It was just people trying to get to class on time, slightly high off the new school year. Regular. Normal. No danger.

He breathed.

Kuroko and Hinata weren't in the same class.

He stared at the board sullenly, mindlessly moving his foot so it didn't get stepped on, and sighed. He should've expected it, really. Hinata's grades tended more towards "abysmal" to Kuroko's "average", so the split made sense. Still, he would've liked the safety of having someone he already knew in his class.

Instead, the only interaction the two had was in the morning as Hinata had rushed past his door and into his assigned room seconds before the tardy bell rang.

The rest of the morning proceeded much as he'd predicted, from having to force himself to be noticed so as not to get sat on as well as standing in front of the teacher so he didn't get marked absent.

The teacher called on him throughout the class, glaring as if blaming _him_ for her inability to see him, and looking thoroughly disappointed when he could answer all her questions.

So it was with relief that he embraced the bell signalling lunch- so much that he forgot himself for a moment. Forgot that he was invisible. Forgot that he needed to check the walkways before going into them so he didn't get stepped on.

His head stung. _If this is what forgetting does, I'm never doing it again,_ Kuroko thought with a moan. "Wha- what did I trip on?" The person who'd bowled him over asked quizzically.

"Me," Kuroko deadpanned, not bothering to move as the male jumped off him as if electrocuted.

"Ah!" Half the class joined in his exclamation. "When did you get there?!"

"I've been here the whole time. You rammed into me when you came in." He said, not able to hide a disgruntled tone of his voice. Was it really too much to ask for _someone_ to be able to see him?

"A-ah. Sorry about that." The guy said, stumbling into an awkward bow.

Kuroko breathed slowly, straightening and brushing off his pants. There was no use getting upset over this- it happened everywhere he went. _Not around Hinata,_ a voice said snidely, and he pushed it out of his mind. "Don't worry about it," he sighed, falling into a bow himself. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Kageyama Tobio," The new guy said, finishing the introductions with little fanfare. At the supposed end of the show, the class dispersed, whispering amongst themselves and shooting him suspicious glances.

 _Well_ , he thought, pulling out his lunch. _At least no one can say my life is boring._

* * *

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **Again, thanks to all those who favorited, followed, or reviewed this story!**

 **Please, please review! We love hearing from you, it only takes a couple seconds, and it means the world to us!**

 **Ja Ne!**

 **~Mikey and _Raph_**


	3. Seeking Brighter Skies Part 3

**Surprise!**

 **So we've gotten such a great reaction that we're gonna start putting up two chapters a week from now on! _Tuesdays and Fridays for your convenience!_ (At least, for so long as I keep on top of editing . . .)**

 **In any case! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Neither fandom belongs to me, otherwise gravity would have a much more significant affect on games.**

* * *

"Kuuuuurokooooo!" The familiar call had Kuroko sighing, though a small smile still slipped through his lips. Of course the oranget would try and find him for lunch. Still, he was making a racket and the other students were muttering to each other, so he walked over to stick his head out the door right as his friend raced by.

"Hinata," he called calmly, mildly entertained to see him skid to a halt and whip around. That amusement died when Hinata threw himself at Kuroko and whipped himself around using Kuroko's neck as a turning point in a way that was quickly becoming the norm- though he thoroughly wished it hadn't, because his neck was not made to hold a person up, regardless of how small Hinata was.

"You gonna come in and eat or what?" Kuroko finally said, and Hinata sprung off and beamed at him, gesturing for him to lead the way.

They finally settled down to eat outside (Hinata loudly declaring it was too good a day to waste away inside), and Hinata instantly went on a rundown of everything that had happened in the couple hours since they had seen each other.

"And then she was like 'Since you're obviously smart enough to sleep in class you should be smart enough to tell me the answer to number four' and there was this awesome guy next to me that gave me the answer but Sensei was totally onto me and man, I thought studying for the entrance exams were hard!"

Kuroko shook his head. "You shouldn't be sleeping in class, Hinata. What about when you have tests?"

Hinata shrugged uncaringly. "Meh, tests don't matter that much. As long as I can play volleyball!"

Kuroko had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "If your grades drop too badly, Hinata, you run the risk of getting kicked off the team."

Hinata promptly choked on his onigiri. "W-wait! I thought that was just at Teiko! They do that here too?!"

Kuroko tilted his head. "I can't be sure of their policies of course, but you know if you keep your grades up it'll be easier to get into a college. Who knows, if you pull them up enough you could join me in the more advanced class next year." It would take a miracle, but maybe that would be enough to motivate Hinata into studying more.

Sure enough, Hinata's eyes burned with determination. "Yosh! I'm gonna study so hard they'll have to put me in your class! Just wait! Oi, you're gonna help me study, right? You always make so much more sense than the teachers."

"That might've been true in Teiko but you wouldn't know with this Sensei, since you slept during her class."

"O-Oi! Don't give me that! I was tired!"

Kuroko absently noted the guy that had run into him earlier- Kageyama Tobio? Glancing at them curiously from the vending machine around the corner. He blinked a couple times, before turning back to Hinata.

"So, made any friends yet?"

* * *

As soon as the bell rang, Kuroko made his way to the door, knowing that Hinata wouldn't wait a moment before rushing off to the gym. At least if he were there he could rein in the oranget a bit.

As expected, Hinata came rushing through the halls, expertly dodging through the crowd and spotting _-always strange, how Hinata could find him so easily now-_ Kuroko. It was nice to see Hinata hadn't lost his touch being out of practice with basketball for so long.

The thought hurt something fierce, and Kuroko shoved it out of his mind, focusing only on the here and now. And here and now, Hinata was running at top speed, dragging an unresponsive Kuroko with him.

"C'mon, c'mon! The sooner we get changed the sooner we get to the gym the sooner we can practice the sooner we can play!"

Kuroko relaxed a touch. Hinata's logic never failed to make him want to smile.

He couldn't argue even if he wanted to, so he allowed himself to be tugged along, easily matching the long strides Hinata made. It wouldn't have been possible before this summer, but spending so much time with his friend made sure they were perfectly in sync ducking through the hallways.

They changed in record time and Hinata blew past all the people holding out club forms, tugging him along for the ride.

But his feet became glued to the floor when he heard a call come from behind him.

"Basketball! Join the basketball club!"

Kuroko shifted, glancing behind him to where there were a couple upperclassman handing out forms, evidently trying to recruit first years for the team.

"Kuroko?" Hinata's voice asked, hand clenching around his wrist once.

Kuroko looked back to him, unseeing.

 _Don't give up on Basketball yet! You can make it, I know you can!_ Aomine's voice reverberated in his head, making him intake a sharp breath.

 _-Don't you want everyone to be able to play together again?-_

The images came to his mind before he could stop them.

 _Kuroko munching on a blue popsicle, Hinata gesturing excitedly, telling a story, and accidentally hitting Aomine with his wet popsicle, and a fist fight ensuing. Akashi broke them up with a single word, and had to stop Aomine from murdering Midorima when he inevitably made a remark about his Light's IQ._

 _Playing on the court again, but with passing, communication, smiles making the Miracle's light's all the brighter. Winning, not because they were from Teiko, but because they worked_ together, _enjoying the game they all played._

Dimly he heard the upperclassman call out again, felt Hinata's hand tighten around his again, and shook his head sharply, bile rising in his throat. He could picture it so _clearly._ He wanted that scene so badly it hurt.

His eyes flickered up to Hinata's, and he stopped. Hinata was glancing over his shoulder, where the voices were coming from, face slowly paling to a sickly green.

His mind cleared, as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head.

Kuroko had already made this choice. Had made it before he'd even left Teiko- so _why?_ Why did it keep nagging at him? Why was he guiltily happy when Hinata used his famous agility? Why did he want to check for basketball membership? Why did he keep wondering about which schools the others went to?

It didn't matter what he wanted. He'd _chosen_ to come to Karasuno, to stay with Hinata, to give up basketball, and he wasn't going to back out on that now.

Hinata shook his shoulder, drawing his eyes back to his. "Kuroko? You okay? You not feeling well?"

Kuroko couldn't speak, for a moment.

He drew in a shaky breath, taking in Hinata's worried visage, the hand on his arm, the head tilt that brought him close enough to hear even a whisper. Hinata, who was still glancing over Kuroko's shoulders at the other kids, who probably was having his own flashbacks to middle school, and was focusing on making sure Kuroko was alright.

"I'm fine," He said quietly, making his spine straighten millimeter by millimeter.

He had _chosen_ to come here, to Karasuno. He'd chosen to give volleyball a chance, and he had loved it. _Still_ loved it. Second guessing that choice was pointless.

He had made a promise, and nothing was going to stop him from keeping it.

* * *

Hinata couldn't stop grinning as he pulled Kuroko yard after yard towards the gym.

They were finally here. _Finally get to meet their new team._

It had surprised him to see the bluenette come up to him one day, eyes dark, asking if he wanted any help practicing volleyball.

He hadn't known Kuroko very well back then. But months and months of training together had completely cemented the fact that Hinata wanted Kuroko to come to Karasuno with him. And now they were here!

He could just see it now. Hinata would play in the Ace's spot, Kuroko behind him, setting or receiving he wasn't sure yet. His friend was great at both. Leagues better than Hinata, at the very least. Plus Kuroko couldn't seem to manage the height Hinata could, so all the better for Hinata to take the spiker's spot!

The thought only made Hinata charge more energetically through the school hand in hand with Kuroko, unable to stop the beaming grin that spread across his face.

But then Kuroko stopped moving. Hinata very nearly lost his balance before turning to see what had caused the sudden halt.

It only took one look at Kuroko's pale face to realize how fast he must have been going, and he wanted to kick himself. He knew _very well_ how Kuroko used to collapse when pushed too hard. He knew, but had been so excited he'd forgotten himself.

He came closer, studying his friend intently, tightening his grip on Kuroko's wrist. "Kuroko?" _He's not flushed, not more than a little pale, and we haven't run far enough for him to be exhausted yet . . ._

Other than that, though, he couldn't see anything- Hinata stopped, eyes locked on Kuroko's face.

The blankness was back.

Kuroko had never been very expressive to begin with, but Hinata had seen him open up over the past couple months. He'd been proud of each and every smile that he'd been able to wrangle out of him, but before that, Kuroko had been absolutely blank every second of the day.

The same blankness that was back now.

He hated it. What he hated more was he had _no idea what had caused it_.

"You want to join the basketball club? Grab a form today!" The call came from the hallway they'd just come from. He'd been so focused on getting to the club that he hadn't been taking in any of his surroundings.

Now, though- just hearing the word brought back memories of _swishing the ball in the net, running suicides until he dropped from exhaustion, the sound of a buzzer finally marking the end of the match_

Suddenly Hinata knew for sure why Kuroko had those shadows in his eyes.

So, pushing down the bile threatening to spew from his throat, he put a hand on Kuroko's shoulder, making sure his voice was low _-not just courtesy, if he talked any louder he thought he might actually puke-_.

"Kuroko? You okay? You not feeling well?" He said, watching and trying desperately to catch any of the normal quicksilver emotions racing through those impassive blue eyes.

"I'm fine," Kuroko whispered, straightening from the curled position he'd instinctively taken.

There was nothing, not even a squint- and it hurt to see. Oh, how he _wished_ Kuroko would just _trust him enough to understand whatever the bluenet was going through_ . . . but, he thought reluctantly, they _had_ only been friends for a couple months.

He'd get Kuroko to talk more about it . . . later.

 _In the meantime, Kuroko needs a pick me up!_ Hinata thought with forced cheer. Thankfully, that's what Hinata tended to excel at. Pasting on his biggest smile, he bounced in place. "Alright, then let's go! The gym awaits!"

Kuroko moved willingly this time, a bit quicker than before.

He'd take it.

The rest of the dash across the school passed in a literal blur, and Hinata never letting go, even when he starting bounding through the air in massive leaps. He landed finally on the ledge of the gym, whooping. He heard Kuroko coming up behind him, breathing a little hard after the run.

"I win!" Hinata shouted, beaming when Kuroko twitched a familiar grin at his antics.

"Actually," Kuroko panted, leaning over his knees. "I think . . . _that_ guy got won the 'First to the Gym' prize."

"Ehhhh?" Hinata groaned, looking over at the kid who was staring at them, ball in hand. His eyes furrowed. _He seems . . . kinda familiar . . ._

"It's you," The person said, eyes widening.

"Me?" Hinata asked, cocking his head. _Do I know this guy from somewhere?_

"You- you went to Teiko," The guy stuttered, making Hinata stop moving, studying the black haired first year looking between him and where Kuroko was taking off his outdoor shoes. His stomach dropped as the kid continued: "You beat my middle school."

* * *

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **It's really fun to see you guys's reactions to what we've written, so please, take the time to leave a review or PM us with comments or suggestions!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **Mikey and _Raph_**

 ** _(or to make it easier)_**

 ** _-Writing in Tandem_**


	4. New Day Dawning Part 1

**Hey again!**

 **So I went to edit this chapter Tuesday only to realize that because I'd come up with this awesome last sentence for the last chapter that I'd have to rewrite this. whole. chapter. So, that happened. And then it decided it didn't want to be rewritten, and one day dragged into two, and soooooo . . . yeah. Sorry for the late update. XD**

 _ **It has not helped that her favorite sister (that's me!) has been very busy with school work and actual work, to the point where instead of contributing as we go along like I'm SUPPOSED to, I'm stuck cheering from the sidelines and reading in between spurts of text books and hastily eaten food. the next chapter will be similar unfortunately (blargh midterms) but I promise poor Mikey DOES have support and love from her co-author as well as actual editing help.**_

 **Disclaimer: We still no owny. Pity.**

* * *

 _What is he doing_ here? Kageyama thought, mind whirring through all the reasons why someone like Hinata Shoyo would choose to come to _Karasuno_ , of all places.

 _Besides that,_ he thought furiously, hands clenching against the volleyball, _did he get the wrong gym or something? He's supposed to be playing basketball._

Kageyama watched as he glancing behind around in confusion, then raised a hand and pointed at himself. "Wait, _me?"_

The pure confusion in his tone make Kageyama pause. He didn't know anyone else who had orange hair, was short, and kept the company of someone invisible, but maybe . . . "You-you _are_ Hinata Shoyo, correct?"

"Yeah," the newly confirmed Hinata replied, "But I don't know who you're supposed to be," he finished bluntly. He winced nearly immediately, and Kageyama's gaze flittered to the side, trying to see what had caused it.

There was nothing there.

Still, he was waiting for an answer, so Kageyama bowed, trying his best to make a good first impression. _Is it a first impression if we've met before and he doesn't remember it?_

"I'm Kageyama Tobio," He said, introducing himself. "We met briefly last year."

"We did?" He asked, sounding rather shocked before propping a hand on his chin, evidently thinking hard. "You weren't part of the basketball team, were you? I would've remembered playing against you."

"No, I played volleyball." Kageyama said. Hinata said nothing, shifting a little bit.

 _He really doesn't remember?_ He thought, slightly incredulous. Someone who'd had such a big impact on his middle school life?

Hinata merely shrugged, turning to talk with the invisible person next to him.

Kageyama, meanwhile, was just trying to figure out how exactly Hinata _didn't_ remember meeting him. After all, it wasn't something Kageyama was likely to ever forget.

" _Seriously, who does he think he is?"_

" _I know, how are we supposed to be able to spike those reckless tosses he sends?"_

" _Hey!" Kageyama growled, whipping around. The two stiffened, turning away and avoiding his glare. When all they did was continue muttering as they walked away, he couldn't help the tightening of his shoulders as if shielding himself from their words._

 _After all, it didn't matter that they were hosting a small tournament, or that other schools participating would hear their comments. They didn't care about who heard them complaining-when even the coaches didn't comment, though, he knew he was on his own._

 _Eventually, he took refuge just outside the gym doors just to get a respite. He wasn't hiding, he told himself. But even he wasn't sure if it was the truth anymore._

 _Unfortunately this was just about the time when another sports team walked past. He was determined to stay out of their way, to not give them any reason to belittle him, but then something knocked into his shoulder, and he snapped._

" _Oi," His glare instantly turned to the person closest to him, which just turned out to be a "Shrimp," He blurted aloud. The orange haired kid whipped around, levelling him with a sharp stare._

" _You talkin to me?" The shorty demanded._

" _Oh no, here we go," The mutter came from what Kageyama assumed was one of his teammates._

" _Sorry, but," Kageyama said, trying to backtrack, but realizing as the shrimp strode forward that yes, he really was tiny. "How are you supposed to play when you're so short?"_

Kageyama would swear to the moment he died that Hinata looked like he was an animal in that moment. All dark persona and eyes that would still shine even in pitch black.

He'd learn to never poke fun at the things that truly mattered to Hinata, because, despite how much they fought on a daily basis, Hinata was really scary when he got mad.

" _Height doesn't matter!" The kid yelled, pointing a finger into his face. His blue haired teammate scoffed a little, but- to Kageyama's surprise and irritation, didn't disagree._

" _If you can't pull your weight, you're nothing but a hindrance," Kageyama stated. If this kid's teammate's weren't going to show him the way the sports world worked, then it fell to him._

 _They stared each other down, the intensity only building until it was nearly suffocating. They might've sat there forever if not for the call from the gym. "Look out!"_

 _A ball came flying out, bouncing off the floor and high into the air._

 _Before Kageyama could even think to move out of the way, though, a blur of orange jumped up and_ caught _it. His mouth gaped. The kid had jumped nearly_ six feet in the air _to grab that, with an agility most of his team couldn't match._

" _Wha-" He stuttered, watching as the shrimp started twirling the ball on his finger, staring in fascination at it._

" _Hey, send it back!" Came the call. Shrimp paused, rolling the ball across his arms and shoulders without even taking his attention of the person trotting towards them. Then, with a quick grin and flick of his shoulders, it was in the air again, only a moment passing before he was jumping and sending it_ smashing _down to the floor, ricocheting up and over Kindaichi's head._

" _Oi, Chibi-chan, stop showing off to this guy and get to the locker room," The blue teammate drawled. "You know Akashi'll be mad if you make us late to our game."_

" _Ah, shoot!"_

 _As if his teammate had hit a switch, the shrimp's intense demeanor instantly vanished, transforming him into a slightly nervous middle schooler._

 _A slightly nervous middle schooler that was currently running down the hallway away from Kageyama._

" _H-Hey!" Kageyama yelled, trailing after him. The shrimp paused uncertainly, half-turning to give Kageyama a bewildered stare. "You didn't tell me your name," He said, eyes glancing down at the jacket that he wore. Teiko._

 _A shiver made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Oikawa-senpai had told him a little bit about Teiko. Apparently, they had a motto for 100 wins, 100 victories. Basically, they weren't allowed to lose._

So, _he thought, eyebrows furrowing as he came to a halt in front of the kid._ How does he win when he's so short? Even if he can jump . . . _His teammates' faces entered his mind. Even if his teammates jumped, they still couldn't spike the tosses he gave. What made this kid any different from them?_

" _Ah, I'm Hinata Shoyo!" The bewildered look was gone, replaced by a bright grin._ " _I play small forward for Teiko! Ah, that is, when Akashi puts me in," There was a small pout at that, but genuine irritation in his eyes._

 _Hinata wanted to be able to play. Kageyama felt the sentiment to his core. He'd been taken out of games before, just because he couldn't sync up with his teammates._

" _What- what makes you different?" He demanded. "How are you able to keep up with them? How do you get them to listen to you?"_

 _Hinata cocked his head like a bird. "Listen to me?" Then, he burst out laughing. Kageyama was lost for words. "Man, I_ wish _I could get them to listen to me. Aomine makes my life miserable most of the time, and man, Kise can be a royal pain in the butt."_

" _So- how do you get along with them? How do you play, even when they're . . ." Kageyama floundered. It had been obvious from the moment he'd seen them- they were a true team. They joked, bantered, but none of it was meant viciously- not like his team did._

 _Hinata's eyes sharpened, but this time he didn't feel like prey in an eagle's claws. This time, he felt like he was being examined. It wasn't necessarily any more comfortable._

" _The Miracles . . . they're flawed, sure. But they each have their own gifts, ya know? And we're all a little strange. If nobody could look past that, we'd all be lonely! And I don't want anyone to be lonely, so I'm gonna make sure that we all stick together! Cuz we're a team!"_

 _Kageyama couldn't speak. His mind was whirring- spinning, trying to figure out what Hinata was saying. Did he mean- did he mean that teammates were supposed to stick by you, no matter what you did? Then why did his not do that? Were they not real teammates?_

" _Hinata, Akashi says he'll add ten laps to your warm up if you're not ready in two minutes," A deadpan voice came from down the hallway. Kageyama jolted, as did Hinata, but then the oranget was cursing and running down the hallway._

" _Dang it, I'm late!"_

 _Kageyama didn't realize he had reached an arm out to try and catch him til all he had was a hand full of air._

" _Ano," the deadpan voice said, and Kageyama flinched, stepping backwards and whipping his head around to try and find where it came from. "I'm right here," It came again, and a head of blue hair filled his vision. "I just wanted to say . . . If your team doesn't accept you because you're different, that's not your fault. Don't give up just because you haven't found your place yet."_

 _And then the blue was gone, before he'd ever gotten a good look._

But now. Now it was plain to see- both Hinata and the blue ghost were here. Except for whatever reason, they didn't remember him.

While he'd been reminiscing, they'd started warming up, jackets and shoes tucked away neatly in a corner. He watched silently as Hinata jogged around the gym, chatting excitedly with the empty space next to him.

He contemplated continuing his serving practice, but he didn't remember what number he left off on, and he wanted to talk to them anyways.

He fell into step with them as they looped back around, consciously choosing the side that Hinata _wasn't_ beaming at. He didn't want to run over the ghost _again._

"-And I figured that we'd at least get to play on our first day, right? So I'm just wondering what positions we'd all get! Do you figure they'd rotate us to see what we're good at?"

"They might evaluate us first, Hinata," The quiet monotone replied. "Find out what our strengths are."

Hinata waved a hand, not even winded by talking and jogging at the same time. "We'd breeze past that! After-" He cut himself off, eyes darkening and going silent. Surprisingly, the ghost didn't speak either, a tenseness blanketing itself over the conversation.

He glanced between Hinata and the empty space he kept getting flashes of blue from, confused at the sudden change. What had Hinata said that would cause that kind of reaction?

Kageyama took a calculated breath, trying to break himself out of the suffocating atmosphere. "Ano," He started, drawing both people's attention. "Do- do you really not remember meeting me at all?"

Hinata blinked at him in shock, and then, stopping, burst into laughter. Kageyama slowed to an uncertain halt, unsure of what to do with someone who was doubled over in hysterical giggles.

"S-sorry," He said, hand trying and failing to cover his cheek breaking grin. "I'm not laughing at you, promise- well, maybe a little bit, but-" He dissolved into laughter again, keeling over on his side when he began wheezing for breath.

"That's a bit rude, Hinata," The ghost said, appearing by Kageyama's side, staring with displeasure down at the oranget. "It was an honest question."

Kuroko (He really needed to start using the ghost's name) turned to him, something Kageyama thought might be a smile quirking his lips. "To answer, Kageyama-san, you would be the volleyball player we met last year at the Kirisaki Daichi tournament, correct?"

"I thought you didn't remember," Kageyama said, trying not to come off as accusatory. Kuroko blinked.

"I didn't, at first. But there were only so many volleyball players I've encountered, and you were the only one from last year." Kuroko said, turning to look at Hinata picking himself up off the floor. "I can't speak for Hinata, though."

"Ehhh," Hinata said thoughtfully, staring at him. They waited, but then he shrugged and turned away. "Nope, nothing."

Kageyama snapped, vein throbbing. "Don't keep us in suspense just to end it like that!"

It was to him chasing Hinata around the gym that the doors opened to a group of upperclassmen.

It almost made Kageyama want to sigh. When he'd wished for a real team, this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind.

* * *

Kuroko was tired.

It wasn't a physical tiredness, not like when he'd been running for too long and needed to sit down. It was more like . . . a weight on his shoulders, a numbness in his brain. Like he wanted to take a nap and just . . . escape for a while.

He pushed it away, focusing on the people walking through the door.

He bowed automatically, Hinata turning and doing the same, shoving Kageyama's head down with him. It wasn't long before it dissolved into a mini scuffle playing out in the background.

Kuroko sighed. There wasn't really a point in trying to break them up. Hinata had accepted Kageyama, and that meant fights and challenges were going to be the norm. He'd have to get used to it.

Unfortunately for Hinata, the upperclassman didn't seem to understand the futility of the situation, because he instantly yelled at them to stop fighting. But, judging by the way they both froze mid move, Kuroko suspected he wouldn't have to intervene too often to get them to behave.

"So you two are the new recruits? I have to admit," He said, walking forward to look at the duo, who quickly extricated themselves to stand at attention. "You're a bit shorter than I'd imagined you to be."

"Eh?" Hinata snapped, eye twitching with irritation. "You wanna say that again?"

"Maa, maa," The silver haired one said, walking forward and raising his hands to show they meant no harm. The door slid open once more to admit two more. "Let's not get off on the wrong foot. This is Daichi, he's our captain. I'm Sugawara, and that's Tanaka."

Hinata bowed again, eyes still calculating. "Hinata Shoyo, this guy's Kageyama." He jerked a thumb beside him, and the first year jumped as if unused to being introduced by someone else.

"Ah, right, you said here you came from Teiko. You and a-" He checked the papers again, "Kuroko Tetsuya? Did you two play volleyball there?"

Hinata shook his head, eyes darkening. Despite all of Sugawara's efforts, it seemed, the captain was determined to make this first meeting as hard as possible. It formed a pit in Kuroko's stomach. He'd hoped that they'd get a good team at Karasuno. Would that hope really be dashed on the first day?

"No," Hinata said, looking like the word was physically painful. "Me and Kuroko played basketball for Teiko. We're switching over this year."

Hinata's tone brooked no argument, made it very clear that it was not a subject open for discussion. It seemed like the newcomers lacked a certain thing called tact, though, because the tall blond one butted his way into the conversation like a pro, cocky grin and all.

"Ho, really? The shorty is from Teiko's basketball team? Bet you flunked out of the fourth string so you had to find another sport." The cutting drawl made Hinata's hands curl, and Kuroko's nerves hummed as the blond's friend snickered.

"Nice one, Tsukki."

"And you are?" Daichi said, tone holding just a hint of warning. Kuroko glanced over at the captain, who was now facing so he could see everyone in the room. He couldn't tell who the Captain would side with, but he moved so he was on Hinata's right, between him and the newcomers.

"Ah, this is Tsukishima, and I'm Yamaguchi- we're looking for the volleyball team."

"This is the volleyball team!" Tanaka boomed, puffing out his chest and jabbing a thumb into it proudly. Tsukishima only let out a disinterested, questioning hum.

"Oh, really? With how short this guy is I thought we'd stumbled into the wrong gym." Tsukishima said, unconvincing grin on his face, and Kuroko felt his irritation rise.

"Oi," Kageyama snapped, striding forward a couple steps, but the blond only cut him off again, grabbing the stray volleyball off the floor and propping it on his head.

"Ah, but then again, we do have the King of the Court here, so I guess we're two for two on losers."

The words made Kageyama's eyes widen, and Kuroko could only watch as he seemed to cave in on himself, looking so much like how he had in middle school that Kuroko wanted to hit something.

Was this kid a Miracle? Where did he get off bringing that darkness into people's eyes?

He stepped forward, eyes narrowing in anger, and for the first time, _forced_ himself to be seen.

"Excuse me," The words were ice cold. "I'd appreciate if you didn't talk about my friends like that."

He nearly _felt_ the surprise behind him, and knew Kageyama would be wondering how he counted as a friend after only two encounters, but Kuroko knew Hinata wouldn't be letting him go, and had already accepted him into the group.

He kept his eyes forward, though, staring straight at the blond, ignoring the upperclassmen freaking out next to him and the blond's friend squealing.

Tsukishima _-he would remember the blond's name, if only to know who he might need to track down later.-_ shifted backwards a tad, scrutinizing him.

"Who are you?" Tsukishima said, voice low, and so different from the patronizing tone he'd used earlier.

"Kuroko Tetsuya," He replied, in the same tone he'd used for foreign dignitaries and guests his parents had brought to so many parties. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

Tsukishima prided himself on his cool demeanor. It was always satisfying to see the depression on Aniki's face when he failed to react to teasing or tickling or whatever else he tried to "crack his younger brother's cold exterior!" with.

But even Tsukishima leaned back when faced with people appearing out of thin air and using a mask to rival his, using that icy cold tone to make him feel utterly small. It was unnatural.

"Kuroko- so, you're the other one from Teiko?" The Captain asked, taking a half step towards them. Those pale blue eyes shifted _thank goodness_ away from him to answer the question.

"I am. And we were not from the third string," He said, glancing back at Tsukishima sharply, making him stiffen, "Nor did we drop out because we couldn't play. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, fingers twitching at the riddle in front of him. This Kuroko, whoever he was, was skilled in word games. He made the point of contradicting Tsukishima in the number of strings, the insinuation behind his remark, and proving his superiority without giving away just how good they'd been.

He noticed, though, that Kuroko didn't deny they'd dropped out. "So you quit because you played too well? That seems a bit backwards," He drawled, cataloguing every shift of expression.

He almost regretted it. Something dark and haunted and desperate seemed to swallow him whole. Just looking at it made Tsukishima claustrophobic- He looked to the ghost's orange haired friend only to see similar emotions there, but with more _fearpanicdesperationhurtfearpainpainPAIN._

"Yeah, well, the Miracles are just about as backwards as you get," The oranget mumbled, toeing the floor.

Tsukishima's eyes widened, and Yamaguchi voiced both of their surprise. "Wait wait wait, the miracles? You mean the Generation of Miracles? The prodigies of Teiko?"

Kuroko turned away, and while Tsukishima was glad he didn't have to see the boiling pot of emotions he hid away under that mask, he also felt a flare of anger.

He'd heard rumors of the Generation of Miracles, almost more than the King of the Court, and not all of them good. Most people he talked to who'd played them spoke of how the Miracles trashed everyone on the court- in _every_ aspect.

Looking at Kuroko and Hinata, it was easy to see that the Miracles hadn't just crushed everyone on the other side of the court. They'd crushed their own clubmates as well.

Tsukishima felt a single twitch of his finger. Yamaguchi glanced over to him, and he knew his best friend had caught the motion and understood its meaning.

The upperclassmen were trying to restore order to the gym, trying to make sense of everything that was going on, but Tsukishima didn't care about any of that. He'd pushed too far, and dug up something he'd rather have stayed buried.

That darkness, he'd never seen anything like it. It was worse than Yamaguchi's stuttering nervousness left over from being bullied. He'd hated even that- it grated on his nerves, the knowledge that some people got a kick out of hurting others.

But this, this was something else entirely.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi's worried voice was what prodded him forward, scrutinizing the two in front of him who were watching him warily, oh so warily, but they weren't beaten, not broken, not yet-

"You played basketball in Teiko and you think you can just switch over and everything will be fine?" He said, overriding whatever nonsense the Captain was spouting.

"Huh?" Hinata said, blinking at him in pure confusion. _Well, that was better than before._

"Just because you went to an elite school doesn't mean you know how to play volleyball," Tsukishima continued, walking forward until he was looking down at the two. "And switching in with no knowledge of the sport is only going to slow us down."

"Oi, Tsukishima," Daichi said, trying to stop him. Tsukishima continued to ignore him, watching a fire spark in Hinata's eyes, watched the shift of their shoulders from slumped to something more defiant.

"You should just give up now," Tsukishima finished, smirk twisting his lips.

"No way," Hinata said instantly, fists clenching. He cocked an eyebrow and the oranget snapped his head up, eyes flaming. "We don't get to play volleyball- something we worked and worked and _worked_ at just because you said so?"

Tsukishima tried not to let his pride at a successful manipulation show as he rose back to his full height, Hinata stepping forward and puffing out his chest. "You don't get it, do you? Yeah, sure, we're short. That never stopped me before. Why am I gonna let it stop me now?"

"Hoo, so confident," Tsukishima snarked. "Think you can take me on, _shrimpy-chan_?"

A chill ran down his spine as a new glint entered the oranget's eye. "I'm going to make you regret calling me that," He said quietly. A flash of blue over Hinata's shoulder told him that he'd have a bit more competition than he'd bargained for.

Tsukishima couldn't stop his smirk.

Maybe this club wasn't going to be as boring as he thought.

* * *

 **Whew! Finally done :)**

 **Again, really sorry with the late update, y'all.**

 **Also, long chapter is long. Not all of 'em are gonna be FOUR THOUSAND WORDS but we just couldn't find a good place to stop without killing the momentum, and we'd already split the planned chapter in half.**

 _ **I told her y'all wouldn't mind (case I know I don't, and sometimes i swear I'm more of a reader than a writer) and we got to include (or push in in my case, I love to be mean to these poor boys, where as Mikey loves to comfort them in their sadness) all kinds of juicy goodness of past hurt, future friendships, future drama, and much much more! And a hint to all you people who actually read these (cause really you should get some reward) for the speculation you all love to do between the chapters- pay close attention to the wording, motivations, etc. Small things have big reasons behind them. we love to hash out the smallest details, to drive the plot without ever putting those details in. Those little things a huge clues to things that are going to happen in the future. I seriously doubt any of you will be able to guess even half of what were going to pull, in this or any following works, but you deserve a fighting chance ;)**_

 **Big shout out to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story! It makes our day, and I'm pretty sure everyone's tired of hearing me brag about it. Seriously, you guys are awesome.**

 **Keep reading and reviewing! Peace out!**

 **~Mikey and _Raph_**

 ** _(or to make it easier)_**

 ** _-Writing in Tandem_**


	5. New Day Dawning Part 2

**Hey Guys!**

 **So you know how we split last chapter in half because it was so long? Well, it turned out to be so long we split it again. So I'm hereby dubbing this the First Year Battle Royale Arc!**

 **Actually I'm abysmal at naming things. Oh well. That's not what y'all are here for anyways. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own any basketball or volleyball peeps. Otherwise Donnie's dubbing of them as my "basketball and volleyball boyfriends" would totally be accurate.**

* * *

Daichi wasn't pleased with them.

Kuroko could understand why- they _had_ kind of absconded with practice to have their throwdown with Tsukishima, but he couldn't honestly say that he regretted it.

His eyes narrowed at the blond across the court. No, he didn't regret his actions at all. Even if now they had to play a three vs three that very weekend. It didn't matter. Kuroko and Hinata had been playing together for at least a month now, and it shouldn't be too hard to fit Kageyama in with them.

Or, at least, that had been the thought.

"Honestly, how pathetic are you?!" Kageyama's voice boomed across the court once more. "That ball came straight from the front!"

"Don't yell at me!" Hinata retorted, jumping back to his feet to stand nose to nose with the first year. "I managed to get under it, didn't I?"

Kageyama's hands twitched like wanted to strangle Hinata, and Kuroko tried not to sigh.

"That doesn't matter if you can't get the ball up to the setter, you idiot!"

"How long are they going to go at this?" Daichi muttered next to him, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kuroko silently agreed. Even Hinata and Aomine didn't get into this many arguments.

He ignored the subtle tightening of pain in his chest to glance over at the Captain. "I'm not sure. Hinata's not the type to go down quietly."

"Gack!" Daichi flinched, head whipping over to him, and Kuroko turned his head back to the now battling duo. "When did you get here?"

Kuroko had to give him props for not screaming at him- but one look at the Captain's face showed Daichi was white, like he'd seen a ghost. His lips thinned.

"I've been here the whole time," He said, words passing through his lips like a mantra. - _How often had he said these words in his life? Surely other people didn't have a sentence drilled into them since childhood. Didn't quote it every other conversation in hopes that someday he could meet someone he didn't have to say it to.-_

"A-ah," Daichi said, returning to the conversation with only a slight hesitation. "This isn't quite what I pictured when I came to practice today."

 _I doubt this is what anyone pictured,_ Kuroko thought bitterly, taking in the way the second years were clumped around the edges of the gym, studiously avoiding the first years who had taken over the court. Out loud, he merely said, "I apologize for the inconvenience."

Daichi waved a hand instantly, small grin taking over his face. "Ah, it's fine. We normally have a match the first week anyways, just to see what the first years are made of." He winced as another ball came flying over the net to smack Hinata right in the face. Kageyama's voice began yelling again, and the argument continued. "Although this year's is just a bit more tense than I was expecting."

Kuroko nodded, inwardly thinking hard. "Captain-san?" Daichi turned to him, eyes questioning and perhaps a bit surprised. He tried to make his face as innocent as possible - _harder than it looked, smoothing out the tightening of the corner of his eyes as the blond glanced over to them yet again.-_ "Would you mind helping me with my receives?"

Hinata's voice bellowed a complaint across the court, which Kuroko ignored, instead trying to decipher the expression on Daichi's face.

The Captain's shell-shocked expression smoothed out and he chuckled. "Of course. I daresay you three could use as much help as you can get."

 _Unfortunately,_ Kuroko thought, stepping out onto the court, _that's probably true._

He couldn't help shooting Tsukishima one last look, catching the blond's eyes. _But I'm not going to lose._

Hinata bounded up to him and dove behind him, using Kuroko as a shield against Kageyama's wrath.

We're _not going to lose._

* * *

They were heading home for the day - _finally, Kuroko's legs were on fire, and he couldn't wait to get home and just stop moving. He felt for Hinata, who had to bike all the way home-_ when Tsukishima and Yamaguchi blocked their way out of the doors.

Hinata instantly bristled, Kuroko's eyes sharpening with renewed focus.

"Maa, I thought after that challenge today you guys would be better than that," Tsukishima drawled, half smirk twisting his lips, "but you really do suck."

"Hey!" Kageyama growled, stepping forward as if to fight him. Kuroko planted himself firmly in front of the first year. _Not a chance._

"That wasn't very nice, Tsukishima-san," Kuroko said idly. Yamaguchi flinched at the sound of his voice, eyes wide as they saw him there, but if Tsukishima was surprised by his presence, he didn't show it. Instead he continued, eyes crinkling in an innocent smile.

"I mean, look at you," Tsukishima said, pointing at each of them in turn. "We have a wannabe Ace, a literal ghost, and then of course the King of the Court. Ah," He said in fake surprise as Kageyama bristled. "I forgot that you don't like being called that, right, King-sama?"

"King?" Hinata said, turning to stare at Kageyama in fascination and a little suspicion. "What did you do to earn a nickname like that?"

Kageyama stayed silent, glaring daggers at Tsukishima, who continued in that hair raising congenial tone, Yamaguchi snickering in the background. "I'm surprised you don't know. After all, I would think even basketball players would've heard the tales of how our King-"

"Shut up," Kageyama whispered, and shivers broke out on Kuroko's spine, and he moved back a step so he could see everyone. He glared up at Tsukishima from under his bangs, voice raising just enough for everyone to hear. "Shut up. If you don't have anything meaningful to say, get lost. We need to get home."

"Ho?" Tsukishima said, recovering from his surprise and leaning down to their level. "Are you sure you don't want to tell your new _friends_ that in middle school you ruled your court with an iron hand? How your teammates left you behind?"

Kageyama's tension drained out of him, and Kuroko was left to watch as Tsukishima once again brought out the middle school boy standing alone in the hallway. Hinata looked ready to deck Tsukishima, but Kuroko grabbed his wrist.

"Middle school doesn't matter," Kuroko stated bluntly. Tsukishima looked at him, blinking. "So he had a bad team that didn't listen. That doesn't mean that you can bully him."

Tsukishima reeled back as if Kuroko _had_ punched him. Yamaguchi wasn't snickering anymore. Kuroko wasn't finished, though. They'd brought it up, they could stand there and _listen_. He wasn't going to stand for another Haizaki.

"Getting left behind by your team- that's the worst thing that can happen to you," Kuroko said, noting Hinata's twitch but steamrolling onwards. "And I'm not going to let it happen here too."

And with that, he grabbed Kageyama's wrist as well and dragged both of them _past_ the shellshocked duo and out the doors.

 _Get your emotions under control,_ he told himself, stride long, trying to get as far away from the doors as possible. _He's just trying to get under your skin._

 _Well he's succeeding,_ a snide voice retorted. _Have you forgotten what happened the last time you let your mask slip?_

The hair on his arms stood up on end, and he forced himself to just _stop thinking stop it this isn't like that time, it's_ _ **not**_

"Oi, Kuroko . . ." Hinata's hesitant voice brought him back, feet gluing themselves to the ground. A steadying breath before he turned his head to look at the people he'd still been dragging along by their wrists.

He let go instantly, biting his lip as he watched Kageyama rub his wrist protectively. He'd used to be so much more reserved- where had all of his restraint gone? Kageyama might fit well into their group, but that was no excuse for his forward behavior.

"I'm sorry," He apologized, and Hinata blinked. Kageyama's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"For what?" Kageyama blurted.

"We're just worried because you seemed really out of it," Hinata said earnestly.

Kuroko turned his eyes away, fiddling with the strap of his bag. _-Not like he was avoiding the honest care and concern the two were projecting onto him. Of course not-_

He'd been so out of it Kageyama, who he'd known for only a couple hours, had been able to see his emotions. He shoved everything down, stuffing it away to deal with later. _Always later._

"Why . . ." Kageyama's hesitant voice brought his gaze up. After dragging him around, the first year deserved his attention. "Why would you stand up for me? I mean- we just met," His arms were flailing, trying to illustrate what he was trying to say.

Kuroko's words failed him- how to explain? How was he supposed to say that he'd done it on a whim? Would it hurt him to know that Kuroko hadn't really been thinking all that clearly when he'd said all that?

Hinata spoke up, turning his shoulders towards the first year. "Actually, we met a year ago, according to you. So it makes sense that we'd stand up for you, yeah? A year is long enough to be friends, right?"

He sounded so unsure, like he didn't know if that was the right thing to say- but Kageyama was looking at them with that flabbergasted expression, and Kuroko was nodding, and Hinata's shoulders relaxed. He smiled, propping his hands on the back of his head. "Besides! Watching Kuroko take down Tsukishima is something I could watch _all day."_

"Hinata," Kuroko sighed, which only made him grin harder. Kageyama was still looking confused. The expression was uncomfortably familiar. _-why does he care, what do I say, how do I act?-_ Kuroko'd made the same expression after accepting . . . Aomine . . . as a friend.

It was that that pushed him out of his self-imposed silence. "It doesn't matter what happened in middle school, Kageyama-san. What matters is that we're on the same team now, and a team is supposed to look out for each other."

Kageyama blinked, a shiny quality to his eyes that told him Kuroko had hit the mark, and turned away to give him a bit of privacy. Hinata's beaming grin had turned a little smaller, a little sadder, and he felt his heart pang. He hadn't meant to bring up bad memories- he'd just wanted to help Kageyama understand- but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Sorry, we're supposed to be getting home. Hinata, don't forget to do your math homework."

Hinata instantly started complaining, walking with him towards the bike racks, and Kageyama slowly came up behind them, hesitantly taking a place on Hinata's other side.

 _It's a start,_ Kuroko thought, wondering if the sun was just a bit warmer today than usual. Or maybe it was Hinata's natural warmth that made him feel all fuzzy inside. Whatever it was, he liked it.

* * *

It was harder to keep a hold on that warmth than Kuroko thought. He ended up spending more and more time around Hinata that week- edging closer every time they passed by their soon to be opponents.

No words were exchanged, but chilly glances and silent understanding only ramped up Kuroko's anticipation of the match. Chance encounters led to increased drive during afternoon practice, and though he paid for it with sore muscles and exhaustion he couldn't bring himself to back off.

Hinata didn't have to cajole him into extra practice now- he went along willingly, spending more time at the school than he did at his apartment. He didn't really mind that either. Going back to the apartment wasn't like going Home to the Hinatas'. There weren't pleasant voices and dinner waiting there for him. It was just somewhere to sleep, somewhere to wile away the time until school and practice the next day.

The exception was when Hinata had come over halfway through the week, but that was the exception, and not the norm.

Too soon, though, Saturday arrived.

Kuroko was just toeing his shoes off at the gym doors when a duo of yells announced Hinata and Kageyama's arrival. Deftly moving through the doors and to the side, he called a hello to those already warming up as Kageyama and Hinata collapsed in the entryway, debating over who'd gotten there first.

"I totally won! You saw, right, Kuroko?" Hinata insisted, looking up from the floor. He shook his head in exasperation. _Of course he brought me into this._

"I didn't see," He replied. Kageyama and Hinata both face vaulted.

"Kurokoooooo," Hinata whined.

"Good morning, Captain," Kuroko greeted, nodding at Dachi. The captain smiled, shaking his head in amusement, but went along with Kuroko's teasing.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. "You ready for today?"

Kuroko felt the panic start to rise, but shoved it down, glancing over at where the first year duo was warming up, reminding himself why he was doing this.

"We're ready," Kuroko said, turning his head to Hinata and Kageyama, who jolted out of their impromptu argument to look at him. "Right?"

"Yeah!" Hinata said, jumping and pumping a fist in the air. He pointed a finger at Tsukishima. "So you're going down, you hear?!"

"Don't be so loud, idiot!" Kageyama said, whacking a fist down on Hinata's head, and the fight resumed. Kuroko wanted to sigh, but this was so commonplace by now that even Daichi didn't blink an eye.

The tension he'd been channelling into practice started to build again, driving him to move, to _play_.

"You seem awfully confident," Tsukishima commented. It was the first they'd spoken since their confrontation in the hallways. The team went silent, gaze jumping between the two of them to see how Kuroko would react.

Kuroko, on the other hand, felt the cold composure once dubbed as his "game face" wash over him. "You were the one to throw the gauntlet, Tsukishima-kun," Kuroko said, purposefully making his voice congenial. The atmosphere grew ever more oppressive.

Their eyes locked in combat, neither backing down. It didn't matter that Tsukishima had a good 20 centimeters on him. Murasakibara was taller, and Tsukishima didn't come with the threat of death by crushing.

Tsukishima clicked his tongue and turned away. "You're new at this sport, so you may not know- but in Volleyball, height is essential. If you can't make up the difference, you're not going to win."

Kuroko's eyes flashed, and felt Hinata and Kageyama come to rest by his shoulders in a way that had become habit. "We told you once before, Tsukishima-kun." Kuroko said, making the blond stop midstep. Hinata grinned, big and threatening, finishing his sentence.

"Height has never stopped us before. Why are we gonna let it stop us now?"

* * *

 **And there's the end to Part Two! Part three is already in the works and just needs a bit of retouching (a lot of retouching, actually) and is planned to be up by Saturday.**

 **Again, thanks to everyone who favorites, reviews, and follows this story! We've gotten a huge response from you guys and it really makes our day. (I haven't replied to you guys who have reviewed to last chapter, but a shoutout to you as well!)**

 **As always, more stuff coming soon, so be on the lookout for it! Also, sorry there's no input from Raph this time- she's suuuper busy with midterms, so sorry for any mistakes or anything you guys spot. We're doing our best. :)**

 **~Mikey and _Raph_**

 _ **(Or to make it easier)**_

 ** _Writing In Tandem_**


	6. New Day Dawning Part 3

**Hello Again!**

 **Soooo I actually got like super distracted with the side stories and future stories. . . and forgot that I had a CHAPTER I NEEDED TO PUT OUT. *bows furiously* Sorry, everyone, who was waiting for like two weeks for this chapter. (Also, the flu season hit our family like a speeding train, so we were out for the count for a lot of that too.)**

 _ **And as is now typical, I was down for the count with midterms STILL (but they are over now finally- I'M FREE) and did all of my motivating in the wrong direction, -see above statement about side stories and spin offs.- I'm sorry to say... I regret nothing.**_

 **And without further ado, the chapter you've all been waiting for!**

 **Disclaimer: No owny. No owny Haikyuu, no owny KNB, no owny other possible crossover things in the future. . . .Y _es that can be taken as a hint. You're welcome._**

* * *

 _Boom._

25 points to a set.

 _Boom._

Three sets to a game.

 _Boom._

It's only a game.

 _Boom._

"Are you ready, Kageyama?" Hinata's voice cut through Kageyama's thoughts, and the ball whacked into his hands once more.

 _It's only a game._ How long had he been telling himself that, to push down anger at teammates, in wondering why they slacked off or didn't take it seriously. It was a near constant reminder that no one- _intense eyes, a flash of orange, an insane spike that sailed it over his teammates head-_ was as passionate about volleyball as he was.

He opened his eyes, adjusting to the sudden light to see the oranget looking at him curiously. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were on the other side of the court, Captain behind them already ready to start.

Kuroko was . . . there. Standing next to the net, hands already up to block a potential spike. He had to really focus to see him- he had to take that into account when managing the court.

He took another breath, and then nodded definitively to Hinata and Kiyoko-san, who was standing on the ref platform.

"Alright then, let's get this thing started!"

Kageyama spun the ball in his hands, guaging the distance and waiting for the signal before starting his approaching run. _I'm going to rack the points up all at once._

His arm arced and hit it- _there._ A flick of the wrist to send it spinning into the corner of the court. _A serve worthy of Oikawa._

Except that it wasn't, apparently, because Daichi was there, sending the ball spinning up, up, to Tsukishima, who set it. "Yamaguchi," He called, and the ball came spinning down onto their court. Kageyama didn't even have time to move.

"Dang it," He hissed. Tsukishima was smirking down at him, and Daichi spoke from behind him.

"I bet you were thinking you were going to rack up all the points at once," He said congenially, and Kageyama flinched. "Well, I'm no genius, but I have a pretty solid receive after all my years. It'll take more than that to get past me."

Tsukishima served then. "Hinata!" Kageyama commanded, and the oranget responded, sending it up, but-

 _It's off!_ He wanted to curse, and the ball rested in his hands for the briefest moment before sending it to the right on instinct _the Ace's spot_ but there was no one there-

The ball slammed down behind Tsukishima. He blinked, looking bewildered at Kiyoko, who gestured at them. They'd gotten a point.

"What . . . How . . ." He stuttered.

"Nice toss," A voice said behind him. He turned and jumped before recognizing the trademark blue hair.

"Kuroko? You- how did you-"

"Anyone who spends time with Hinata knows how to spike," Kuroko said, a twinkle in his eye. He couldn't speak, only looking between the still smiling _-did it even count as a smile? It was the closest thing Kageyama had seen, at any rate-_ and the bouncing Hinata.

"I wanna toss too! Kageyama, send me one! I want to spike!" Hinata shouted, bouncing up to him. His eye twitched.

"Shut up, you idiot! We've only gotten one point! Wait your turn!" Kageyama said, grabbing the offending head of hair bouncing in his line of vision to make it actually _stay still for a second._

The whistle blew to let Kuroko serve, and he lurched away from Hinata, instantly refocusing on the game at hand.

Tsukishima was looking slightly more peeved, eyes flickering across the court. Daichi was _there,_ guarding the back with impressive presence, Yamaguchi by the net, Hinata across from him, and Kuroko was whacking the ball _way too hard it wasn't going to land in-_

The whistle blew again, this time in Daichi's favor. Kageyama glanced back at Kuroko, stunned. "Sorry," The bluenet apologized, looking stiff as a board. "It went long."

No _duh_ it went long. Kuroko had put enough power into that serve to send it into the back wall and halfway back again, judging by the way it rolled into Yamaguchi's feet.

"You put too much power into it," Hinata explained, and Kageyama wanted to scream. How could he sound so patient, look at Kuroko with those teaching eyes when the oranget couldn't even receive properly half the time? "This isn't basketball- the court is shorter and the ball is lighter. You don't need to Ignite Pass it on a serve- leave that to a spike, kay?"

Hinata was beaming up at Kuroko, who was _nodding._ Kageyama was speechless. In all of the time they had spent practicing, not once had Kageyama thought about the fact that they'd played a different sport before this. All that mattered was getting the necessary points to win.

But they were never going to win if Kuroko always overshot his serves.

"Nice serve, Yamaguchi!" Daichi called.

Kageyama's frustration mounted as the game wore on. There were some times when the ball seemed to go up just right, or get smacked down with just the right timing, but every time he tried to send the ball to Hinata . . .

"Gimme a toss!" Hinata screamed, and Kageyama put it up, Hinata watching and then running and- the ball came down on their side again. Tsukishima smirked, Hinata growled.

This wasn't _working._ He couldn't get the ball past the block if Hinata refused to _move._ "You've got to be faster," He started, glaring at the oranget, before stopping short, mouth clicking closed.

His irritation was getting to him. Point after point of getting rejected, - _none of his sets going through, spikers giving up on him, getting put on the bench, not good enough, not good enough-_

"Ho? Is the King finally going to show us his egocentric tossing? The one that breaks his teammates as well as his enemies?" The voice grated on his already frayed nerves, like adding salt to an open wound, and he turned away with a huff.

"Shut up."

He'd done it again. Turning against his teammates, pushing them further than they could go, when he'd promised himself he wouldn't do it again, _wouldn't get abandoned again-_

But what was he supposed to do? He couldn't get enough spikes through the block to be able to win, and this match meant so much to Kuroko and Hinata. His fists clenched.

"Kageyama-kun," The voice next to him made him jump, turning again with wide eyes. Kuroko was standing there, an indecipherable look in his eye. "You know you can trust us, right? We're not going to leave you to fight alone."

His breath hitched. Kuroko was staring unblinking at him, like he knew _exactly_ what he was talking about, an unhappy twist of his lips that was hard to catch but so, so telling, because- he took another sharp breath.

He looked that way because he knew the pain of being left behind. He'd said as much in the hallway, hadn't he? _Getting left behind by your team- that's the worst thing that can happen to you._ Those weren't the words of someone guessing.

But he was offering- no, _they_ were offering, because Hinata was there, at Kuroko's shoulder, looking just as determined. They wanted to help. The were relying on him- depending on him, on his sets, to find the flow of the game. They were both new at this, so of _course_ they were looking to him for guidance-

"Alright," He said, getting ready to serve. _How am I supposed to do this? Hinata can't get past Tsukishima's blocks, and I still can't see Kuroko well enough to accurately set to him . . ._ "We're going to try a quick- you race to the side of the net, as fast as you can, and jump where there are no blockers. I'll do the rest." They both nodded curtly, accepting his words as fact in a way his teammates never had.

The whistle blew and he breathed in, spinning the ball in his hands again and again. _Quicks would never help with his old teammates, but these guys are different, they actually_ listen, _so maybe it'll work?_

The whistle blew and he jumped, sending the ball arcing through the air once more. Daichi picked it up but it was off, Yamaguchi saved it from the floor and Tsukishima bumped it over. "Free!" He called, racing into setter position. _Kuroko's got the first, he's not quick enough to get to the net for a quick but_ maybe- "Hinata!"

He launched the ball, not waiting for Hinata to get into position, and it was _so close,_ he saw the orange race past and thought for a moment that he would actually _get it_ , but then the ball fell again, and Hinata struggled to get free of the net.

 _How did he even . . ._

"Hinata, I could be wrong but I don't think that's how you play volleyball," Kuroko deadpanned, appearing at the net and helping Hinata get loose.

Sugawara snickered, but Kageyama just started forward, staring at the oranget. "Are you brain dead?" He asked, completely serious. Hinata's head shot up, looking enraged.

"Of course not!"

"Then how do you explain that?" He asked, bewildered. All of that speed and strength, and he had absolutely no control over it. It was flummoxing.

"You shot it so fast, and I wasn't ready! I had to really pack on the speed, and I sorta overshot . . ." Hinata said, deflating a bit at the last.

"What kind of set was that?" Kuroko asked, stepping slightly in front of Hinata to grab Kageyama's attention. "It was a lot faster than what I've seen before."

"That was the King's Quick," Tsukishima interjected, cupping a hand in front of his mouth like sharing a big secret. "He used it so much with his old team that they abandoned him. Honestly, if anyone tossed like that to me I would've done it so much sooner than Nationals."

Kageyama turned away, shoulders hunching up around his ears. He was _trying._ Could Tsukishima not see that? He was trying to get around those stupid blocks, and the only way to do that was to go _faster,_ and he _knew_ that Hinata could handle it, he was able to spike that ball in middle school with no warning, and he had nearly gotten it the first time he'd seen a quick.

"So all you need to do is get the ball to the side of the court quickly?" Kuroko asked, a curious glint in his eye.

"W-well, that's slightly oversimplified," Sugawara protested weakly, but Kuroko was already moving back onto the court, a focused look overtaking his face.

"Bring it," He said.

Kageyama stiffened.

"Is it just me or did the atmosphere just suddenly change . . .?" Chikara said, hiding slightly behind the scoreboard. Kageyama nodded numbly. Gone was the slightly nervous, hard to coordinate with team.

The focus they presented was insane, and Kageyama didn't even blame Tsukishima when he backed up a step or two. He wanted to, and he was _on their team._

"Kageyama, can I toss?" The question made him whip around, but Kuroko wasn't even _looking_ at him. He was staring in front of him, eyes glassy, like he was seeing something nobody else could.

 _Why?_ He wanted to ask, _I'm the setter- am I not doing a good enough job? Am I useless?_

But Kuroko had never expressed those opinions out loud- the very opposite of it, actually. Besides . . . he wasn't . . . entirely sure he wanted to get in their way.

"You have a plan?" He asked instead, slowly.

"I have an idea," Kuroko specified. That. Sounded like a "no". Like he didn't have a complete plan, just something that might work . . . or might not.

"Well," He said, looking over to Tsukishima and then the scoreboard. "An idea sounds good right about now."

* * *

Something was different.

Kuroko couldn't quite figure out what it was- it wasn't the rush he got when he picked up a difficult ball, or when he set a perfect ball to Hinata. It was more like a surge of energy, buzzing right beneath his skin and just demanding to be released.

The feeling of exertion and slight dizziness and just a bit of nerves, combined with that knowledge of _team, surrounded by friends._

It was like coming home.

"Hinata," He called, as Yamaguchi fiddled with the ball next to the serving line. Hinata glanced over to him, none of his extraneous energy present- merely a fire of determination in his eyes. "Slam Dunk."

Hinata's eyes went _wide,_ and then a giant grin broke out over his face. "Oh yes, this'll be _epic."_

"Yamaguchi, nice serve!" Daichi called, and they all squatted down, preparing.

It would have to be fast.

Yamaguchi tossed it in the air.

The court was shorter than he thought. He'd learned. It wouldn't need much power.

The ball his Yamaguchi's hand with a smack, and it sailed-

"Kageyama!" Kuroko called, and the setter _moved,_ positioning himself under it and bumping it.

"Kuroko!"

Hinata was already in motion.

Tsukishima was following, but it wouldn't matter.

He jumped up, rearing his arm back in a motion so familiar but different at the same time, and slammed the ball _around up forward not across, not basketball-_

Hinata was smacking it down with enviable ease, twisting his body backwards and then forwards, putting all of his body's momentum into the swing.

To Tsukishima's credit, he tried. He even got close. But him, Daichi, Yamaguchi- none of them had a chance. Not even Aomine had been able to block that move- at least, before he had bloomed.

"Yes!" Hinata cheered, bounding up to Kuroko, eyes bright. "That was awesome!"

"How did you do that?"

"What kind of setter position was that?"

"I don't think that even _was_ a set, he didn't use his second hand at all!"

"Are you sure, I didn't see . . ."

There were murmurs and shouts and people wanting explanations, but- Hinata held out a fist, and Kuroko's breath hitched. _-The smack of Aomine's hand against his own. The feeling of being left waiting, fist bump never returned-_

"C'mon," Hinata said, quieter this time, and Kuroko looked up in time to see a bit of melancholy in his eyes. "Please."

His fist raised, hesitated, and then smacked forward with a satisfying tingle, and he smiled. Hinata _beamed._

"Alright! Hey Kageyama, did you see that? Wasn't it cool? Kuroko was like _whapam,_ and I was like _woosh!_ And the ball went like _Kapow!_ " All of Hinata's exuberance was back in spades, and he bounced around Kageyama like an overexcited rabbit.

"W-was that even legal?" Kageyama stuttered, looking at Kiyoko. She seemed to still be in shock.

"It might count as a lift," Sugawara said consideringly, "but there's no real rule about it, so it could just be called a one handed set . . ."

People's fearful murmurs about geniuses was what made Kuroko's mind up. That, and the fact that his arm was still throbbing. The Slam Dunk had been perfected on the basketball court- it wasn't something _meant_ for volleyball, and it showed.

He'd had to contort his body just to get it up into the air instead of going across court, and having to twist his body midjump had lessened the amount of force behind it. It had turned out okay this time, but Kuroko got the feeling it was more because of Hinata's flexibility and knowledge of how to deal with it than any of Kuroko's ability.

"Kageyama," Kuroko called, and shifted under the sudden onslaught of eyes. "Did you see how I did that?"

Kageyama nodded, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Do you think you could replicate it? Or find a way to make it work for volleyball?" He asked, and the murmurs became full blown questions.

"Why do you ask that? It worked just fine- didn't it?" Tsukishima asked, sounding very much peeved.

"The Slam Dunk wasn't meant for volleyball," Kuroko explained, touching his arm that was still throbbing slightly. "It barely worked, and it would take a lot of skill to make it match up to Hinata everytime. I don't have that kind of precision."

He was more focused on power- on getting to the position that would allow him the most mobility and then getting the ball across the court quickly. None of that was made with precision in mind.

But, from what he'd seen . . . "Kageyama has a genius level of ability. He's able to precisely toss exactly where there are no blockers, and where we have the best chance of gaining a point."

He looked at Kageyama now, whose eyes were wide. He looked vaguely stunned, and Kuroko wondered if he'd ever been complimented in volleyball before.

"How would I . . ." Kageyama trailed off again, folding his arms into a thinking position, somehow managing to look contemplative and ticked off at the same time.

"Maybe," Sugawara interjected, stepping forward excitedly. "Kuroko-san, how do you do it? What did you think about when you went to toss?"

Kuroko blinked. _That_ was never a question he'd been asked before. "Try to see the whole court," he finally decided, searching through his memories. "And then get the ball to where they're hand is? Or going to be, I guess."

Everyone sweatdropped. "And he says he isn't a genius," Tsukishima muttered next to them.

"I'm not," Kuroko protested vehemently.

"Actually you kinda are," Hinata said, propping his hands behind his head and looking for all the world like an innocent angel.

"Can we please play?" Tsukishima snapped, and the game resumed.

Kageyama jump served, Daichi picked it up, and then Yamaguchi was spiking it over. Hinata didn't nearly have the height to block it, and the spike went straight for the corner.

 _Not again_ , Kuroko thought, and dove. It wasn't a clean receive- didn't go gracefully to the setter like Kageyama's receives tended to, but it didn't matter.

"Hinata!" Kageyama called, before his fingers had even touched the ball. Hinata jerked, then started running, dashing forward and then to the side, avoiding Tsukishima.

The next second, the ball was out of Kageyama's hands so quickly Kuroko doubted they'd even brushed his fingertips and Hinata was spiking it down.

The resounding boom sounded to Kuroko like the ring of a gong.

In the end, it wasn't even really a competition. Kageyama had gotten the idea in his head to pinpoint toss the ball to Hinata and nothing was really going to change that. Tsukishima grumbled about stupid geniuses and their cheating methods, but they had won fair and square.

Even Tsukishima had to acknowledge that.

"Well I'm glad you at least have the skills to backup all your talk," Tsukishima said, leaning down to squeeze Hinata's head. "I'd hate to go to Nationals with a bunch of posers."

And then he left with barely a hand wave, leaving Hinata to nurse his head and Kuroko in shock that Tsukishima actually said something. . . vaguely nice.

Thankfully, that was when one of the second years came up to Kuroko afterwards remarking on "that epic receive you did! I couldn't believe it was your first real match!" It was slightly embarrassing, being the center of attention. He didn't understand why Hinata liked it- or why the oranget was giving him that creepy proud smile the whole time.

In the end, though, he didn't use misdirection to get away. It seemed too much like an abuse of the power, especially when he was being _praised_. That didn't stop him from sighing in relief as soon as he got out of the gym.

Then again, Hinata's arm slung around his shoulders and Kageyama's firm presence next to him probably didn't hurt either.

It wasn't so bad, being noticed.

* * *

 **Hahaha so I know we promised that not all chapters would be like, uber long, but this one was actually important, sooo Yeah! Also, shoutout to reviewers Pokeevee56, riskafarisma, Sophiebybophie, Aquarius74, and Dragon Emporor 12! (I think I got everyone, but just in case, all of you other lovely reviewers, favoriters, and followers as well! We love all of you.)**

 _ **And another shout out to those reviewers of any chapter that have speculated on what is to come. We are ninja, and will give away nothing that we don't want to, but please, continue to speculate. We love it- it makes our day. We will highlight you if and when your prediction comes into play.**_

 ** _(This statement applies to all future stories, of this or other fandoms, as written by Writing in Tandem, because yes we are evil and will be throwing as many curve balls at you as Voltron did in the latest season, NO SPOILERS though no worries. )_**

 ** _SPECULATE AWAY!_**

 **Ja Ne!**

 **~Mikey and _Raph_**

 ** _(Or to make it easier)_**

 ** _Writing In Tandem_**


	7. A Gruesome Reminder Part 1

**Hello lovelies!**

 **We're finally picking up the pace on this baby! (We actually hit a 100k mark on how much we have prepared for this story, so don't go anywhere! We've got stuff in the works ;)**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own any of the franchises that we don't own. (That sounded convoluted.) We don't own any characters we didn't make up. Or plot lines. Or- You know what, let's just get on with the story.**

 _ **A very complicated way to explain that we only own what came out of our own imaginations, but eh- whatever. We finally got back on track with which part of the story we were focusing on so y'all are welcome.**_

* * *

"Aomine you teme! We've been looking everywhere for you! How are we supposed to start practice without everyone there?"

The strident voice near his ear brought him out of his pleasant dream, and he turned onto his other side away from the noise. "Did you really have to interrupt my nap just for that?" He mumbled into his arm.

He was dimly aware of the footsteps taking the voice ever closer. "You shouldn't be napping right now! How did you get up here, anyways?"

He wanted to sigh. Then, not seeing why he shouldn't, let out a huge yawn. A foot wedged its way into his side, and he scowled, opening one eye halfway to glare more effectively.

"It's not like it's hard to open the door." Aomine deadpanned.

He couldn't even see who he was talking to. The sun was right behind the guy's head, but it didn't really matter. The person twitched.

"The door to the roof is always locked."

He shrugged again, closing his eye once more. He had been _trying_ to sleep, for heaven's sake. "Not like it's especially difficult to kick your way in. Should make the lock more sturdy if they don't want anyone getting up here."

"Forget that-" _Another_ person shouldered their way forward. Unfortunately, this one didn't have the courtesy to even block the sun like the other one had, and the brightness pierced even his closed eyelids, driving away the last vestiges of sleep. "We need to start practice! Stop napping the day away and get your butt to the gym!"

Aomine growled, propping himself up and glaring at the newcomer.

"Listen, gaki, I don't know if you are brain dead or what, but there's not really a point in going to practice when I could beat you all with one hand. So why don't you just shove off and go back to failing at your sport?"

Idiot #2, as he decided to call him, flapped his mouth a couple times wordlessly, and Idiot #1 stepped forward again. "I get that you're a prodigy, Aomine-san, but it's school policy that anyone who participates in a club has to attend practice if they want to play in any games." The sensible tone only served to make him more irritated.

Did the guy think he was stupid? That he was just going to jump up and go to practice just so he could play in more games against weaklings?

"Works for me," Aomine said, rising. "Less work that way. Let me know when you need someone who can actually play basketball."

With that he brushed past the Idiot duo. He needed to find a new napping place if they were going to start looking for him here. Momoi was exiting the door the same time he was going through, and turned to him, brightening. "I thought we'd be able to find you up here! Headed to practice?"

He didn't even reply, headed down the stairs. _Of course Satsuki told them where to find me._

"You guys! What did you say to him? You were supposed to encourage him to practice!" Momoi's voice floated down, as well as the ensuing protests.

He didn't care. There wasn't really a point in going to practice anyways. No one could beat him anymore.

After all, the only one who could beat him was him.

Even the Shrimp didn't measure up anymore.

* * *

 _Swish._

Beside him, Takao-san twitched. Midorima merely pushed his glasses up further on his nose. Expecting him to miss a shot from the mere three point line was pure foolishness.

He was capable of shooting from the half court and still never miss- never mind the fact that he was working on being able to shoot from the opposite end of the court.

"Are you sure you need to do that many threes. . . ?" Takao asked, staring horrified at the bin of basketballs he had next to him. Midorima scoffed.

"One does not get better without practice. I am not like those other buffoons who skips out on practice out of arrogance. Oha Asa will not help me if I do not keep up on such basic skills as these." Midorima said, gesturing to the large Neko holding a bell, his lucky item for the day.

Takao turned to stare at him while others around him twitched. "Basic skills?" One of them muttered.

"He's a monster," Another murmured back. Midorima closed his eyes against the stupidity.

They didn't know true monsters. True monsters like Aomine, who disregarded every strategy to simply push his way through any defense. Murasakibara, who despite his laziness was an unstoppable force once angered. Akashi, who could command a court with a mere glance, who stopped enemies in their tracks with a glare.

Even Hinata and Kuroko had their strengths, could probably easily mop the floor with his teammates as they were now.

Well, that was only to be expected of a team filled with non Miracles. His eyes narrowed at the ball in his hands, coming up to the perfect position and letting it fly.

 _Swish._

He needed to get better if he was going to be facing off against the other Miracles. They wouldn't stay stagnant in their progress, and he couldn't imagine losing to someone like Kise.

It just wasn't acceptable. He would practice for hours to make sure that eventuality never came to pass.

* * *

Murasakibara popped another chip in his mouth, watching curiously as the colors changed on Taicho-chin's face. He'd gone from red to purple and he wondered what other colors he could do.

"Why. Weren't. You. At. Practice?" Taicho-chin ground out, looking like he was trying to be imposing. He wasn't very good at it. Akashi-chin did it better. Then again, Akashi-chin was the best at everything.

"Umm," Murasakibara mumbled, popping another chip in as he thought back to what he had been doing while practice had started. "Oh right. Maiobu was having a sale, and I was nearly out."

Taicho-chin started turning a shade of blue similar to Aomine-chin's hair color. "You mean you neglected practice to buy _snacks?!"_

"Mmm," Murasakibara confirmed, savoring the last chip and shaking the empty bag longingly. "Nee, Tatsu-chin, do you have any more snacks?"

Tatsuya looked bemused, wry smile quirking his lips. "Is food all you think about, Mura-kun?"

"No," Murasakibara pouted. This wasn't relevant, but maybe if he answered all his questions he would give him a snack? "I think about other stuff too. Basketball, Aka-chin, Kuro-chin, all the Miracles," He trailed off, looking through his pockets to see if he had stuck any candy in there earlier.

There wasn't. Only empty wrappers that joined the chip bag in the trash.

"Sorry, I don't have any snacks, Murasakibara-kun. But I'll take you shopping if you can make it through practice, alright?"

His lip jutted out, thinking hard. Taicho-chin was spluttering in the background. Was he trying to emulate Hina-chin? It was annoying.

"You promise?" He confirmed, to which Tatsu-chin nodded solemnly. Another moment of thought, and he nodded begrudgingly. It would be tough getting through practice with no food to tie him over, but Tatsu-chin always found the best deals, and didn't always have time to shop with him. The tradeoff was worth it.

"Now that that's settled," Taicho-chin grumbled, "Let's get to practice!"

 _At least Aka-chin let me eat snacks in the gym,_ He grumbled, tucking in the uniform and walking onto the court. _I wish he were captain instead of Taicho-chin. Oh well. Aka-chin said come to Yosen, so I guess I have to stay._

* * *

"And that's practice for today. Do not forget your assignments. You are all dismissed."

A few of the older members still looked to the coach before heading out. It irked him a bit that they still had yet to learn who was really in charge here, but they would learn. Sooner rather than later.

"A-Akashi-sama? I was just wondering if-" That same stuttering fool as yesterday had approached him again. He had persistence at least, but no brains to back it up.

"I believe I said you were dismissed. Do not make me repeat myself." Akashi's glare stopped the boy in his tracks, before he scurried away.

 _Pathetic. This is all I have to work with? Shoyo has more spine, and he's overly malleable on a good day._

That just proved that he had not yet spent enough time here. Shoyo, Daiki, Atsushi, Shintaro, Ryota, and Tetsuya had all grown out of their ridiculous tendencies, and become true tools in his quest for superiority. The longer he spent here, the more he would be able to mold this team in the same way.

A few more simpletons tried to waylay him on his way to the gates, but he paid them even less mind than (he needs a name, cause i feel like akashi would know it, but idk). None of them were worth the time it would take to send them off.

He reached the secluded peace of the limo, and nodded to the chauffeur.

"You know where to go."

The man bowed low as he closed the door. "Of course Akashi-Sama."

The car started with a hum, but Akashi didn't even look up as the driver pulled away from the school. The driver was silent (unlike the buffoons back in the gym, who never knew when to shut up) and let him work on his laptop in peace.

A careless swipe of his finger allowed him access, and he set to work. He had very limited time before he reached his destination after all.

He scrolled quickly, but efficiently through the first several pages. Daiki's status had not changed in the past several weeks, and though he had yet to attend practice, he was still on the team- which was all he cared about for now.

Atsushi was in a similar situation, though his connection with Himuro Tatsuya raised a small red flag. He would need to keep an eye on it. It wouldn't due for him to get too close. Atsushi always had the loosest tongue out of all of them.

A click brought him to Shintarou. His situation was slightly more precarious than the others. Takao Kazunari had the potential to break through his shell, and ruin him. Shintarou was at his most effective when he had no distractions on the court, and it needed to stay that way.

Ryota was as much of a concern as ever, being in the limelight as he was. Though his resilience and tendency to see things his way certainly came in handy quite often. And it seemed that he hadn't gotten into too much more trouble than usual this week, so there would be no need for any excessive damage control. One less thing to worry about.

Here he slowed, eyes sharpening. Really, it still surprised him occasionally that out of all of them, _these_ two would turn out to be the cause for greatest concern.

Shoyo and Tetsuya. His greatest projects. And greatest successes. It had been extremely vexing when he had been unable to display Shoyo as planned at Nationals. Akashi had been preparing for it for so long, and to have it snatched so cruelly from him… but he'd already gotten his revenge for that slight.

No, what was troubling him now was that he _could not find them._ It had been easy enough to track their movements for that final part of the semester, but when summer had come. . .

Plastic creaked under his hands before he forced himself to relax his grip. Calming his anger was slightly more difficult.

Tetsuya had always been the most difficult to keep an eye on, for obvious reasons. It had always been easiest to locate him through Daiki. When that connection had been severed (And how fortuitous _that_ separation had been. It had made the division to different schools so much smoother.) he had _expected_ it to be more complicated. So he hadn't been as concerned when he could not locate him for the first few weeks.

Being unable to do the same for Shoyo had been a touch more alarming. That he had _continued_ to be unable to pinpoint even what _city_ either were residing in throughout the entire summer had stretched his patience thin. He had only been able to calm his temper with thoughts of the rules that would be put in place after he found them to keep something like this from ever happening again.

But now it was several weeks into the school year, and he still had yet to find hide or hair of either of his precious prodigies in _all that time._

He was beyond alarmed. No one evaded him for this long without _intending to._

They were _**avoiding him.**_

Akashi had refused to think poorly of Shoyo and Tetsuya at first (after all they were the most well behaved out of them all in middle school), but he was beginning to think he was going to be forced to consider some more _radical_ answers to why they had mysteriously vanished into thin air.

An old rumor said that they had both moved at the end of the school year. Had moved _together_ no less. He hoped that they knew better than to disobey him so obviously, but if not. . .

His laptop closed with a resounding click as he reached his destination.

Well, they would probably not like the consequences.

* * *

Kise jumped on his heels, unable to contain his excitement.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" Kasamatsu grumbled behind him. Kise whirled, giant grin on his face. Kasamatsu-senpai looked startled, but that didn't matter cuz-

"I got a text from a fan!"

The next thing he knew he was eating floor, Kasamatsu's foot pressed into the back of his head. "Don't sound so happy about that, idiot! You're supposed to be practicing, not texting your stupid fangirls!"

Kise pouted as he rose, wincing as he rubbed the now tender spot on his head. "So mean, senpai . . ."

His phone pinged again, and he got halfway to reaching for it before realizing senpai had a deathly aura around him and pulled hand back slowly. It was almost physically painful.

"Don't you have anything better to do than text your fans all day?" Kasamatsu-senpai growled, looking very much like he wanted to put Kise's beautiful face back into the floor.

He scooted back, just so he was a little further out of reach. Senpai was even testier when he avoided the assaults, but he _did_ need to keep his good looks if he wanted to keep his job as a model.

True, he did have better things to do. . . . normally. But this had been important! He didn't often use his fame for personal reasons, but he had been worried about Kurokocchi, with how he had disappeared- anyways, it was for a good cause. And it had finally paid off!

Still, he perked up, grabbing his phone and beginning to type away. "You're right! I haven't checked in on the Miracles in a while! They've probably already forgotten all about me, or-" He gasped as a nightmare made itself known. "Or they've gotten in a horrible accident and I'm the only one who doesn't know because I haven't kept in contact!"

"How does your mind even- never mind, I don't even want to know. Just put your phone away during practice, Idiot, you can't be slacking off. We want to win, don't we?" Kasamatsu senpai shot at him, walking away to yell at the team.

Kise looked up from his half composed text to grin dangerously at Senpai's back, hand tightening. "Don't worry, senpai, we won't lose. After all, only a Miracle can beat another Miracle."

He blinked a couple times, then, and then looked back at his phone in horror. "Gack! I deleted my text to Kurokocchi!"

* * *

Kuroko knew the sound coming from outside the gym doors instantly. What he didn't understand was why he was hearing it. He looked at Hinata, who shared the glance, equally bewildered. After all, they were _hours_ away from Tokyo.

Kise wouldn't travel all the way to Miyagi just to come to their school. That was crazy. Right?

It had been so long that Kuroko had forgotten. The Miragens were not just crazy. They were downright _insane._

No one else would go against Captain when he had _that_ look on his face. It was tantamount to defying Akashi (though without pain of death by scissors.) But the blond didn't even seem to notice, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah, sorry. Gimme five minutes?"

* * *

 **Tadaaa!**

 **The Generation of Miracles have arrived. Congrats to Pokeevee5** _ **7**_ **(sorry about the mistake last time ;) for guessing correctly that they'd be entering soon!**

 **Also, we're putting out a challenge for y'all. Anyone who can guess what's different about this chappie (besides the fact that it's the Miragens' entrance) will get an exclusive extra written by yours truly! Review your guess, and we'll announce winners next chapter.**

 _ **Honestly this chapter was super fun to put together. There are so many easter eggs in here. . . let's just say anyone who goes back to re-read it later is going to enjoy it immensely. (just another thing to convince all of you that we intend to finish this fic.)**_

 _ **I hope most of you will put forth your guesses on things. Including the challenge. Nothing makes us happier than to see what effect our story is having on all of you. And to see beautiful planning pay off.**_

 **And, for your reading pleasure, just a little extra something… blah. Words.**

 _ **What are we adding?**_

 **Uh, the Omake at the end of this chapter? For the people who** _ **actually read the author notes?**_

 _ **I feel like most of them will notice the added length, but sure why not.**_

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Writing in Tandem**

 **Omake**

 **"Alright, that's it for practice today! Make sure to not forget your homework," Daichi reprimanded, shooting a glance at the first years. He'd overheard Kuroko talking to Hinata and Kageyama- they'd need to watch out for those two. It wouldn't do to lose two of their best players because of bad grades.**

 **Unfortunately, Hinata was already turning away from him towards Kageyama. "Hey, you still have energy, right? Send me a toss!"**

 **"Wait, we're supposed to be cleaning up-" His vaguely pleading cry went unheard. He gusted a sigh, and the others simply laughed as they started mopping up the gym.**

 **"There's no use reasoning with them when they get like this," Suga chortled as he walked past.**

 **"One more!" Hinata called.**

 **"Don't," Daichi pleaded, pulling on the ropes holding the net on, hoping the motion would cue the oranget in to the fact that they needed to be putting it up.**

 **"Hinata," Daichi blinked at the vaguely amused tone of voice coming from Kuroko. "One more or milkshakes."**

 **Hinata stopped dead, and the whole gym held it's breath. The oranget was actually _trembling._ "J-just one?"**

 **"No," Kuroko replied, and yes, that was _definitely_ a smirk playing at the edges of the bluenet's lips. Hinata slumped forward, pout jutting out his bottom lip.**

 **"H-how?" Daichi stammered, walking wide eyed towards where Kuroko was standing across from the still depressed spiker. Kuroko's eyes were twinkling with mischief in a way Daichi had never seen before. It literally lit up his face.**

 **"Hinata and I practiced pretty much every day during the summer, and we'd always go out to Maji Burger after. I . . . might have gotten him hooked on it."**

 **"Yeah," Hinata mumbled. "And then you had no problem using it against me whenever you wanted to stop practice early,"**

 **"It wasn't early," Kuroko admonished, giving Hinata a half-amused, half stern look. "We'd have been out all night if you had your way."**

 **They quickly fell into their normal banter, this time helping them clean up.**

 **He didn't quite know how Kuroko had managed to get a leash on Hinata, but he knew _exactly_ who he was going to when the oranget was more rambunctious than usual.**


	8. A Gruesome Reminder Part 2

**Hey y'all!**

 **Sooooooo Nanowrimo is here. Which means editing time is like zilch, but we felt bad for not posting for a while and leaving you with a cliffhanger so here it is.**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. Including brains- Raph the Zombie ate them all.**

* * *

He tried to convince himself this wasn't happening. That Kise wasn't sitting there signing autographs, that Hinata _wasn't_ going pale just thinking about the fact that the Miracles had found them - _was it just Kise? Had he told the others? He probably had, he never had been able to keep his mouth shut-_

But no, he realized as he dug his fingernails into his palms, Tsukishima really was scowling at their old teammate, Tanaka really was having to be held back by Daichi to not rush forward. - _For the girls or to beat him up?-_ Kuroko couldn't really tell.

Hinata let out a strained laugh, frame tense. "Ah, sorry, Daichi-san, he's . . . he's always like this."

Kuroko moved over to his side, trying to tease him, to release the tension. "You didn't have to _train_ him, Hinata."

Hinata turned to him, lip twitching up just a bit. His eyes were still flickering back and forth, but at least he was focusing on him, on his words. "That must've been difficult. I feel for you, at least Midorima-senpai got a good student with me."

"I think he might disagree there, Hinata-kun," Kuroko teased, and he got a real smile this time, small and pained but there. "I seem to recall him pulling out his hair more than once."

"Are you saying you didn't pull your hair out with Kise over there?" Hinata deadpanned, gesturing at the blond still smiling at the fangirls.

"Oi!" Kise said, looking over at them, offended. Hinata's back straightened at that, tone still light but with a biting undertone that probably missed Kise by a mile.

"Are you saying you _didn't_ ignore him at every turn?"

"Would you guys mind explaining what's going on?" Daichi interrupted, looking between them like watching a tennis match. Kise completely ignored the request, finally ushering out the last of the fangirls and stepping forward towards them, arms outstretched.

"Kurokocchi, why didn't you go to a big basketball school? We all promised that we would play against each other in high school, don't you remember?" Kise whined, eyes shining with heartbroken tears.

"We weren't there, Kise," Hinata snapped, stepping closer to Kuroko. "We didn't promise anything."

Kuroko shifted. That . . wasn't entirely true for him. He had promised a lot things that year- they just so happened to be the exact opposite to what Kise was referring.

"What promise? What are you guys talking about?" That was Kageyama, disrespectful tone and all.

Kise looked around, looking astonished that none of these people knew who his 'Kurokocchi and Hinatacchi' were. "The Generation of Miracles all promised to get stronger and fight each other in High School. That's why I'm wondering why Kurokocchi and Hinatacchi didn't join big schools- or why they're playing volleyball!"

"Wait wait wait," Yamaguchi cried, eyes wide. Tsukishima actually looked shellshocked. "Generation of Miracles? No way! Not these two!"

There were nods of assent all around. _After all, there are only five Miragens, aren't there?_ The thought was bitter on his tongue.

"Nope," Kise said, looking a bit smug. _A lot smug,_ he corrected himself when Kise propped a hand on his hip, smirking at the team. "Kurokocchi was actually our Phantom Sixth man- our passing specialist."

"So that's where you learned it," Kageyama said, surprised, looking over to him.

Kuroko nodded- he knew that Kageyama had taken his idea and run with it. It had made Kageyama and Hinata a force to be reckoned with- and he was glad for it. Passing specialist he may be, but Kageyama was a genius setter, and that was something Kuroko could never be. If Kageyama was a better shadow to Hinata than he was, well, he wasn't going to complain.

Even if it hurt that Hinata had found someone at Karasuno who needed him more than Kuroko.

"And Hinata?" Sugawara asked, brow furrowed. "You say Kuroko-kun was your 'Phantom Sixth man' which I guess I can see. . . But what about Hinata?"

Kise smiled. "Ah, Hinata switched with Aomine a lot! Not a lot in games, cuz Akashi wanted to save him or something? But he was always with us! Not a lot of people know he was a part of our group, but hey, we needed orange to complete the rainbow!"

Everyone sweatdropped at that, and Kuroko knew he wasn't the only one of the opinion that Kise was an idiot.

The levity didn't last long- Kise was giving them a look that rivalled Hinata's. He started forward, every step making Hinata and Kuroko more and more tense.

"You guys aren't good enough to hold onto these two," He said finally, flinging an arm around Kuroko's shoulders and looking around at Karasuno disdainfully- like he'd judged them and found them wanting. "You mind if I take 'em back with me?"

"Oi, oi, get your filthy hands off our first year!" Tanaka growled, instantly pulling Kuroko away from Kise's clutches and flinging him back towards the team. He stumbled upon impact, but that was more surprise than lack of coordination.

"Yeah, you can't just waltz in here and decide that you're taking them with you, idiot!" Kageyama yelled, hovering in front of Hinata protectively. "They're part of Karasuno now, so go back to your own team!"

Kise's eyes glinted, and Kuroko shuffled a bit, dread pooling.

Kise he'd- he'd always been a bit prone to dramatics, but there were times when he proved serious. - _going up against Aomine, or a fierce opponent-_ Either way, Kuroko didn't like the look in his eye.

This- this wasn't playful teasing, like when he had pulled all the Miragens together and joked that they'd be going to the same high school.

A shiver raced down his spine, fingers twitching.

Kise actually wanted them to _leave_.

"But we were a team first!" Kise said, a whine in his voice. "You guys don't know how to use Kurokocchi to the fullest, anyways! He belongs in basketball! And Hinatacchi is amazing at dunking!"

"Why am I always the spare?" Hinata muttered, real hurt visible in his hunched shoulders and fidgety feet. Kuroko's heart clenched.

Kise was ruining everything. He had finally gotten to a place where Hinata was happy, where _he_ was happy with his team, and finally had a family _-though he borrowed it from Hinata half the time-_. He had started to believe that he could _belong_ here.

Kise's presence only brought all the shadows back, and Kuroko hated it.

"I'm sorry, ah, Kise-kun, was it? But you're disrupting practice, so if you would-" Daichi started, but Kise obviously had no sense of self preservation, because he went right on with his speech.

"You guys can't bring out their potential to the fullest! Only other Miracles can do that. Never mind that, but you guys aren't even basketball players. All the Miracles promised to join the basketball teams at their school so that we can play against each other during high school! So, Kurokocchi, Hinatacchi, come on! We can play all together again, just like we used to-"

"No."

The word stopped Kise cold, reeling and blinking in shock at the amount of venom that had been laced into it. It took Kuroko a moment of looking around to see that it had come from _him._

A single glance at Hinata's expression hardened him, though. That lost expression . . . it had been on too many mirrors in the past. He wasn't going back to that. Wasn't subjecting Hinata to that. Not ever.

So, turning back to Kise, he sketched a shallow bow, hoping it covered the sudden tenseness in his frame, the twitch of his fingers wanting to make fists.

"Sorry for making you come all this way, Kise-kun, but we're not going anywhere. We were never part of the promise that the team made. We were never recognized as Miracles off the court," he glanced at Hinata again here, "or on it, apparently."

"T-that's not true, Kurokocchi, we-!" Kise said, pushing past Tanaka towards him, and Kuroko couldn't stop an involuntary flinch.

The result was instantaneous.

Those closest to him were suddenly in front of him, there was a hand now resting on his shoulder. A glance around the backs that obscured his vision showed a vibrating Tanaka anchored in place by Daichi, Sugawara planting a hand on Kise's shoulder to keep him from taking another step forward.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Tsukishima drawled, a dangerous note in his voice. He hovered almost protectively over Hinata, frame imposing.

"I think it's about time you leave, Kise-kun." Sugawara said amicably, hand tightening on Kise's shoulder. The blond whacked his hand away, retreating a couple steps and taking them in.

"You've found a new sport, then, huh?" Kise said, and Kuroko felt a shiver go up his spine. Kise leaned down, grasping a volleyball and extending it towards him. "Then, let's see how you fare . . . against me."

* * *

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Yamaguchi stuttered, watching the dumb blonde test the volleyball against the floor.

"Why are we even doing this?" Hinata muttered, settling into the wide receiving stance. Tsukishima wondered how Kise planned on beating the freak duo when he was the only one on his team.

"Kise-kun is trying to prove something, I think." Kuroko replied lowly.

"Oi, stop whispering behind my back, you two!" Kise cried, pointing dramatically and dropping the ball on his foot in the process.

"Actually, I think they'll be just fine," Tsukishima dismissed, sweatdropping. "Even Shrimpy-chan should be able to hold his own against someone like _him._ "

"But he's part of the Generation of Miracles, right? Aren't they, like, the geniuses of the generation?" Chikara asked, wringing his hands.

Kise tossed the ball into the air and hit a home run, the ball pinging off the top banister.

"If this is a genius, then I don't think those two have anything to worry about," Daichi said, tight smile covering an incredulous laugh.

Kise's next serve _-a jump serve, when he doesn't even play volleyball? Just how arrogant is he?-_ was more on target. Hinata was able to get it up, though, and the next sequence of events blew all their expectations out of the water.

Hinata waited only a heartbeat before glancing at Kuroko, dashing to one side of the net and swinging- Tsukishima didn't even _see_ the set.

It was different watching it from the sidelines.

Kuroko and Hinata didn't pair up very often on the court- when Daichi had asked them why, Kuroko had mentioned that Kageyama was a better setter than he was, but Tsukishima had wondered if there wasn't something more to it.

Tsukishima had been the first one they had tested that spike against. He knew firsthand how powerful it was- it didn't make sense for them to give up that kind of weapon in favor of the king's toss, no matter how accurate.

Now, he thought he understood. The power spike- the 'Slam Dunk', as Kuroko had called it- it was something from their basketball days. And now, with Kise here, he understood exactly why they didn't use it.

He also learned that the Generation of Miracles were frightening.

The ball smacked through Kise's arms and into the wall.

"Did he-" Kageyama started, face slack.

Tsukishima's brow furrowed, staring hard at the blond who was shaking his arms out with a pained grin.

"He just got his hands on Hinata's spike, after never having seen it before." Tsukishima confirmed.

"Man, Hinatacchi, I feel bad for the ball!" Kise whined. "Why did you never dunk with that much power?"

"I did, idiot," Hinata said, joy from the successful spike seeping out of his expression, leaving only anger and irritation. "Volleyball's are lighter, if you hadn't noticed."

Kise eyed his hand, nodding in glee. "Ah, I see! So that's why my serve went long!"

"This guy's an idiot," Yamaguchi lamented. "Right, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima nodded, but never stopped studying the Generation of Miracles' interaction. "He is, but . . . the fact that he was able to pick up volleyball after never having played it before and nearly receive Hinata's spike . . ." He trailed off.

"What was that, Tsukishima?" Daichi asked.

He sighed. "Nothing." Instead, he turned towards the dumb blond. "So, you satisfied? We have a practice to get to, and you're in the way," He said bluntly.

"Nooooooooo," Kise whined, turning pleading eyes around the room. "But I haven't gotten Kurokocchi or Hinatacchi to come back to basketball yet!"

"Oh for the love of-" Kageyama said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Kise-kun, you really do need to leave," Kuroko said, tone as near pleading as Tsukishima had heard from him. He would've thought it pathetic, if he hadn't been a millimeter away from strangling the blond himself.

The blond got up from where he'd fallen over sobbing, beaming in the quickest turnaround Tsukishima'd seen. "I've got it! How 'bout this! You guys beat me at basket," He said with a challenging grin, "and I'll promise to leave you alone from now on."

"No," Hinata said, looking slightly green. Hinata looked to Kuroko for support, but to Tsukishima's surprise, the bluenet was wavering.

"It'd just be once, Hinata." Kuroko said slowly. Hinata shook his head like a dog shedding water, eyes haunted.

"I can't, Kuroko," Hinata whispered, looking down at his hands, which were trembling.

"Even if it means Kise leaves us alone?" Kuroko murmured. "You know he'll never give up otherwise. He'd keep coming back until we said yes."

Hinata shook his head, retreated a couple steps, but the motion was less a rejection than before. Tsukishima's eyes narrowed, bouncing across the court. The air was tense with anticipation- Daichi was leaned forward like he was going to interrupt, but Suga had a hand on his arm, holding him back.

". . . One point," Hinata said, quietly, then louder, eyes jerking up with a sudden blaze. "One point, and then you leave for good- got it?!"

Kise blinked, seemingly surprised at the vehemence of this statement, but it quickly morphed into an arrogant grin. "Sorry, Hinatacchi, but the only one leaving after this will be you two."

* * *

Kise had even had the foresight to bring a basketball. Kuroko tested the weight of it in his hands, feeling the grooves and bumps, dribbling it a couple times against the court and taking in the sound.

"Kuroko?" Hinata asked at his shoulder, and Kuroko inhaled. This . . . wasn't what he'd had in mind when he pictured playing with the Miracles again. He handed the ball off to his friend, taking in his expression carefully. Hinata's hands shook as he went to take it from him.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko said suddenly. Hinata jerked, dropping the ball and staring at him with wide eyes.

"What for?" Hinata asked, sounding genuinely confused. Kuroko watched the basketball roll a couple inches in between them.

"For . . . making you play again. And for not saying no to Kise. And-" Hinata cut him off, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"None of that's your fault, idiot," Hinata sighed.

Kuroko wavered, gaze drawing once more to the basketball in front of them. Hinata sighed. "Well, I'd better get this over with."

He picked up the ball like a piece of dirty underwear, held it at arm's length and studied it for a moment. Then, with the ease of someone who had used to do nothing but eat, sleep, and drink basketball, began a complex bouncing pattern around the half court and in between his legs. Slowly, at first, but gaining speed until the ball was barely a blur.

It only took one misstep, though, and Hinata was out of practice. The ball hit his foot and rolled away idly, towards Kise.

The blond leaned down and grabbed it, having watched silently from the sidelines until now. "You guys ready?"

Kuroko took a deep breath, traded looks with Hinata, and nodded.

Kise bounced the ball slowly by his side, eyes scrutinizing them. "First to One," He announced, to which Kuroko nodded again.

Kise waited just another moment before darting forward, ball moving in the same tricky pattern Hinata had just demonstrated.

Hinata stood in front of him, eyes unfocused and wild, in blocking form but completely unmoving. Kise breezed past him and drove towards the unprotected basket- but Kuroko wasn't the passing specialist for nothing, though, and a tip of the hand was all it took to knock the ball back towards Hinata.

Kuroko ran back to the half court line even as Hinata opened his hands, staring at the ball incomprehensibly.

"Hinata!" Kuroko yelled, jolting the orangette out of his reverie. Kise was coming at him, glint in his eyes that told him the blond was out to win. Turning on his foot, Hinata sent the ball to Kuroko just as Kise got to him.

The ball smacked into his hands, but Kise was suddenly _there,_ looming in front of him. Kuroko twisted, this way and that, trying to get past him, but misdirection didn't work when you had a ball in your hand, and . . .

He wanted to curse, casting a glance at Hinata, who was waiting under the hoop, and suddenly Kuroko knew exactly what he needed to do.

Stepping back, he got into position, and with one foot, pushed off. Kise's eyes widened and jumped after him, but Kuroko's hands were already in motion, pushing the ball in the way only he had learned how, mind whizzing as he calculated _how much does the ball weigh, how far is the shot, the hoop is higher than the net, and_

"Hinata!" He said, tone sharp with command, but he needn't have bothered. All the time playing volleyball together had had them in sync in a way no other Generation of Miracle was, and Hinata was already in the air, _flying,_ and the ball was in his hands, correcting it from where it had flown off the rim and jammed it in the basket with a resounding _**clang.**_

"Yes!" Someone from the sidelines yelled, and that seemed to break the silence, because then the whole team was cheering and patting each other's backs.

Kuroko, however, merely raised a hand, opening and closing it.

It . . . hadn't felt like how he'd expected. He'd thought going back to basketball would feel like relief, like turning back time to how it had been before this whole mess had started. Instead, he just felt . . . empty. There was no joy in this victory, no flush of adrenaline as the point was scored.

Looking up, he saw Hinata on the floor under the hoop, sitting with his elbows on top of his knees. A hand fiddled with the basketball, flicking it back and forth, and back and forth, until it hit his foot and rolled away. Hinata didn't go after it.

"I guess- I guess you won, then," Kise said. A glance told him the blond was, indeed, drooping like a limp noodle. "I- I'll leave you alone about joining basketball." He bit his lip, looking for all the world like he was about to cry.

"I think that'd be best," Kuroko said, hearing his own voice as if at a distance.

Kise nodded, crossing the gym to grab his bag and basketball, glancing back at Hinata, who still hadn't moved from his spot or made to acknowledge anyone in any way.

"I- I really did want you guys to come back. You make an amazing team. I'd never seen anything like what you just did at Teiko. I- I guess your new team really is teaching you guys something, huh?"

He paused in the doorway of the gym, glancing behind him.

"Just . . . don't forget, okay? Once a Miracle, always a Miracle."

Kuroko didn't move a muscle as yellow disappeared, the door closing behind him with a resounding _boom_.

Kise . . . probably didn't mean for that to sound like a curse.

* * *

"So," Tsukishima drawled from where he stood in front of Kuroko. "That was Kise Ryouta."

"One of the infamous Generation of Miracles," Sugawara agreed, still staring at the closed gym door.

"Dang it, who does he think he is, coming in here and demanding to take our first years away from us?" Tanaka seethed, his dark aura emanating from every pore.

Kuroko ignored them as they argued back and forth, instead going over to Hinata, putting a hand on his shoulder. Hinata didn't move.

He had to crane his neck to see into his friend's eyes, and what he saw made his stomach turn. The shadows were back.

That stupid blonde. Did he even know that he undone half a year's work in mere minutes? Why did the Miracles break everything they touched?

"K-kuroko?" Hinata probed, voice small in a way it shouldn't be. Should never be. Kuroko inhaled deeply, peeling his fingers away from his stinging palms. Hopefully nobody would notice the half moons dug in there. Hopefully Akashi hadn't noticed his loss of composure-

All his work undoing his anger was instantly unraveled. _How_ long had it been since he had worried about keeping his emotions tucked inside? He hadn't noticed- hadn't needed misdirection more than was needed during practice matches to keep him under notice. His team had loved it when he had smiled at their jokes and antics, Hinata had dragged emotions out of him one by one. He _enjoyed_ being with his team and Hinata's family. Liked showing it.

One visit from Kise and all of a sudden, he was slapping his deadpan expression over his face, was back to shoving all his emotions in a bottle. (when had that ever been healthy? Cooping everything up inside?)

"I'm sorry, Hinata." He apologized, but Hinata shook his head again, a bit of life reentering his eyes.

"You keep apologizing for everything- none of it's your fault. None of it." Hinata said, tone vehement.

Kuroko shifted, unable to accept the sentiment but still too raw to start an argument over it. Hinata seemed to sense this and slumped, head drooping into the protection of his arms and legs.

"Where did we go wrong?" Hinata whispered, words barely reaching Kuroko's ears.

He wished he could answer.

Kise had rattled them. Had barged into their sanctuary and brought all their demons in through the front door.

Kuroko didn't think he'd ever forgive him for that.

Thankfully, it looked like he wasn't alone in that.

"Kuroko, Hinata." Captain's voice drew the entire team's attention. "You're part of our team now. I don't care what sport you played in middle school. I don't care if you had cruddy teammates that feel like they can demand that sort of thing from you. I don't care if you want to go back to basketball today or tomorrow or never. But you're part of Karasuno's Volleyball team now, and we protect our own. And you're not gonna have to put up with those BakaMiracles anymore, got me?"

Kuroko glanced around the room on instinct. It sounded too good to be true, this group of people he'd known for barely a month feeling this strongly about him and Hinata. But the hard stares, the straight spines, the grit teeth- he found himself believing them.

And he nodded, watching Hinata shake himself before pulling his friend to his feet.

They had a practice to finish.

* * *

 **And DONE.**

 **Yeah, that was probably one of the hardest updates we've done. Not because it was hard to write, but because I was focusing on other things.**

 **That wasn't the only reason, though. I appreciate every single review we've gotten thus far. You guys are amazing, and your praise is so wonderful. We love reading them. But both Raph and I were a bit put off by a one word demand for an update.**

 **Just to say, we understand that some people are new to Fanfiction, and may not know, but we put a lot of hours into this, and if you have the time to hit the review button you for sure have the time to write a please or a good job.**

 **In short, sorry Guest reviewer, I don't know if you're new or just didn't want to get a confused/angry PM in your inbox, but if you could put some substance in your review next time? That's all we ask.**

 **Sorry for going off, all of you have been really great about giving us feedback and answering the challenge (which is still up and going, cuz nobody's got it yet ;) So a huge shoutout to everyone who reviewed, and thanks to the favorites and followers- pretty sure we've hit the 100 favorites by now, so THANK YOU!**

 **Next chapter might not be up for a bit, depends on how often we edit in between our writing sprints ;)**

 **Ja ne!**

 **~Writing in Tandem**


	9. The Aftermath

**Hello again my pretties!**

 **This was another chapter we had to completely rewrite, so please excuse any mistakes I might've missed during my edits.**

 **Raph is still in the midst of Midterms and is apparently dying a slow death, but we should be back up and running like normal next week. :)**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Haikyuu, KnB, or any other references that wind up in here.**

* * *

Kuroko collapsed against the wall, trying to get his breathing to something that resembled normal.

It had only been a couple days since the blond Miracle's bombshell entrance back into their lives, and Kuroko still hadn't managed to find the enthusiasm for volleyball that he'd been enjoying before the intrusion.

It was easy to see, looking at everyone practicing, hearing the increased intensity, the way the practices tended to drag on further into the afternoon- everyone else was feeling the same way. Easy to tell everyone else was feeling the same angry energy running through their veins.

He didn't want to stop practicing, and the resonating agreement over that sentiment meant practices didn't end until near dark- never mind the fact that Kuroko had finagled a key to the gym, nodding silently to anyone who came to join him, whether it be in the evening or early morning didn't matter. Words just hadn't seemed necessary in the face of what had happened.

Kuroko dragged a hand across his forehead and propped his hands behind his neck, pushing it down between his knees. The action made the floor spin under his feet and he shut his eyes against the nauseating motion.

 _You're pushing yourself too hard._

Morning runs, the regular practices and then the extra drills he was stacking on top of it . . . he was pushing his body far past what it was meant to take. He could almost hear Akashi's angry reprimand at not following the regiment he had implemented.

He took in a sharp breath, fingers almost definitely leaving imprints where he was digging them into his skin.

The voices had been almost constant since Kise's appearance- the only relief being when he pushed himself so hard he dropped from exhaustion. Which was more often than it should be, right now.

His hands moved from his neck to his temples, trying in vain to rub away the pressure that was building up behind his eyes.

 _Curse my good memory._

It was something that let him study effectively, sure. It was how he had gotten through Teiko's rigorous academics still putting in as much time as he had to basketball. But now- now it was a curse.

It was a curse having to hammer his parent's voices into his memory as a child so even when they were on the other side of the world he could still whisper _Good Night Tetsu-kun_ in their voices. A curse that he'd grown used to that ritual, that he had the voices so perfect that when they actually did take the time to call him he didn't talk- he already held conversations with them regularly.

Just. None out loud.

This wasn't that. This wasn't a warm blanket over his shoulders as he went to sleep to the voices of his childhood washing over him. This was a white hot branding iron down his throat, making it impossible to breath or even speak as poisonous words resonated in his head ceaselessly.

A ball came flying from the court, nearly hitting him. Someone yelled an apology, but he couldn't even recognize who said it with the buzzing in his ears. The clamor of voices around him, the rumble of motion on the floor as people jumped- it felt like it was surrounding him, smothering him.

 _I need air,_ he thought, ducking out the doors. A cool breeze blew against his sweaty face, and he took a breath, relishing in the way it seemed to fill him, clearing the haze. Yells and pounds of feet still echoed behind him, and he hesitated in the doorway.

He shouldn't skip practice.

 _Do you really want to practice the condition you're in anyway?_

He'd be following in the Miracles' footsteps- abandoning his team and only worrying about himself.

 _You're_ sick. _All you'll manage to do is if you go back in there is puke all over the floor, and then they're going to have to clean it up._

He didn't even know if he _would_ puke. But the crisp air beckoned to him, wind seeming to whisper that it was still summer, and that the cold snap wouldn't last, and it felt so much better than the claustrophobic confines of the gym.

He should take advantage of the cool weather while it was still here. Besides, nobody besides Hinata would recognize his absence, and Hinata was still so out of it.

 _I'm worried about him. This is too much like how he was back in Teiko-_ but no, there was nothing he could do about it right now- not when all he wanted to do was empty his milkshake all over his nice new gym shoes.

So he let the door close behind him.

He didn't go very far- he was too dizzy for that. But he settled himself against the railing, head leaned back against the cool metal.

It wasn't very long he was sitting there, he thought- time moved differently when you weren't paying attention to it. It could've been a couple minutes or half an hour later that the door creaked open and closed again.

His heart started to race at the profusion of noise from the gym, thinking he'd been caught, or worse, that he _hadn't_ been caught and now they were going to find out he'd been skipping practice.

His muscles didn't move, though. They'd cooled down too quickly, he realized, and he was stiff now- too stiff to duck away as footsteps came towards him.

"Tsu-kun?" The voice was quiet- too quiet almost, to be Hinata. No one else called him that, though, so he brought his head up. This was the first time they'd talked since Kise had come- he was darn well going to listen.

Thankfully, despite their silence, the oranget still knew him better than anyone else. Wordlessly, Hinata threw the jacket he'd been holding over Kuroko's shoulders, squatting down to sit next to him.

His hand moved to hold the jacket in place, slowly blinking down at the Karasuno logo- it was the jacket the senpai's had given them after the 3 on 3. It seemed like so long ago.

"You disappeared."

Hinata's voice sounded almost accusing- which Kuroko knew meant that he was hurting.

"I didn't feel good," Kuroko said quietly. It was the truth. The way Hinata paused meant he was considering his next words carefully.

"You could've come told me. Or Daichi-san. We would've listened."

Kuroko's eyes fell closed. It was too much work to keep them open, and his head sagged, chin knocking into his throat. "I-" _didn't want to be a bother. Didn't want you to see me as weak. Didn't want to get reprimanded._

All of those were true. Mostly though, he had just wanted to be alone. At least that's what he thought it was- it was getting harder to think.

A hand worked its way onto his forehead. "You're burning up," Hinata almost sounded panicked. He fiddled with the jacket, trying to wrap it around Kuroko's limbs with little success. "How long have you been out here? Going from warm to cold too quickly will make you sick, Baka."

Kuroko huffed a laugh, head pounding with the motion. Hinata's motions stilled. "I don't think _you_ should be calling me an idiot, Hinata-kun." He wheezed.

"Mou, that's mean. Anyways, you're not getting any better sitting out here in the cold," Hinata said, grabbing one of his arms and hauling him to his feet. His head spun, and he actually thought he might barf for a moment.

"Hinata? _Kuroko?_ What happened?" Sugawara's voice.

"Ah, he got sick," Hinata said, voice apologetic. Warm air, stinky with sweat, wafted towards him. Were they in the doorway? "Do you mind if I take him home?"

"Of course not," Sugawara said, like it was a given. Like he wouldn't even consider putting Kuroko back in practice when he wasn't feeling 100%. "Hey, Daichi, Kuroko-kun's sick, so we're gonna cut practice short. Hinata, you know where he lives?"

"Yeah," Hinata answered before Kuroko could muster up the energy to tell him _no,_ they were _not_ bringing the whole team over to his apartment. Because that was no doubt what was going to happen if they left Hinata in charge. "Hey, Tanaka-senpai, can you grab our stuff from the clubroom?"

He groaned- the sound barely made it past his lips. Hinata's voice grew softer.

"I'm sorry we're making a fuss. I know you don't like the attention, but you can trust us, ya know. These guys, they aren't like Kise. They're going to look out for us, and that means looking out for you when you're sick. If you really hate it, learn not to work yourself to exhaustion, ok Tsu-kun?"

Kuroko huffed a breath of air- the closest he could get to a laugh right now. Trust Shoyo to show his concern in such a roundabout way. For someone so straightforward he could be very circuitous sometimes.

But if Shoyo thought he could trust Karasuno, then he would.

Shoyo knew people better than he did, after all.

* * *

They were raiding his cupboards.

Of _course_ they were raiding his cupboards. What else had he expected?

"Where's all the food?! All I see is rice and pocky! Does he eat _anything_ else?"

"I think he eats out a lot- I've never seen him eat anything besides what Hinata brings him for lunch."

"Well at least that makes sense- hold up, is the rice _supposed_ to be moving like that?"

"Man that's nasty."

"Do you want to help get rid of this or are you gonna just sit there commentating?"

"I ain't touchin' that!"

"Oh for- it's _moving!_ Ew! Ew! Get away!"

"Tanaka, grab the garbage can the thing's _alive!"_ Stomping steps rattled the floorboards as yells still emanated from (by the sound of it) his very crowded kitchen.

"I told you not to bring them all over." Kuroko was too tired to put any inflection in his voice.

"No you didn't," Hinata contradicted, voice tinged with concern as he laid a fresh wet rag on Kuroko's burning forehead.

"Didn't I?" He honestly couldn't remember what he'd said and what he hadn't. His energy had flagged to an all time low, and sometimes he couldn't even string together a coherent thought in his _head_ , let alone put it into words.

"You might've," Hinata admitted. "I haven't been. . . paying attention as much as I should, lately. I'm sorry."

Kuroko blinked. Hard. Blamed his head for mishearing things for a moment. He thought he'd heard Hinata apologize for something that was in no way his fault or even entirely unexpected.

But he couldn't put that into words- couldn't remember the argument long enough to verbalize it. Instead, he closed his eyes again, thoughts percolating through his head as water dripped down from the rag into his hair.

He didn't stay awake long enough to figure out what his team had come up with for dinner.

Which, judging by the screams coming from the mini kitchen, was probably a good thing.

* * *

Kuroko pulled uncomfortably on the facemask. He didn't like the way it rubbed against his face and made each breath stiflingly warm, but it was the only way he was getting away with going to school today, so he bore with it. It didn't turn out to matter because Hinata pitched a hissy fit anyways.

Well, he had tried.

He decided to keep his silence on the fact that he had gotten sick because of overworking, not because of any bug going around- though spending an evening in the chill without cooling down properly had probably contributed to his feeling awful.

So he dealt with the facemask, quietly noting how nobody looked twice at it in his class, as opposed to the yells that had met him as soon as he'd walked into practice that morning, facemask firmly in place.

They'd completely shut down any attempts to join in the morning drills, demanding that if he were to come to practice at all he'd be sitting on the sidelines.

That didn't stop him from tossing a ball in the air, attempting to familiarize himself with the weight of the ball, how much effort it took to send it a certain height . . .

It was just strenuous enough to make his still aching body drag through the morning classes and straight through to the afternoon. He was just thankful that Hinata didn't try and convince him to go back home. Then again, that didn't stop a certain black haired setter from hovering . . .

"Kageyama-kun, could you please come write the answer to the question I have on the board?" The teacher called, and Kuroko's shadow jerked.

He didn't need to look to know Kageyama was wavering, not wanting to move from Kuroko's side. It was sweet, in a weird way. Kuroko wasn't used to having someone hover over him as he recovered from his different bouts of sickness.

Grudgingly, Kageyama moved to the front of the room, fumbling with the chalk and dropping it twice before he managed to put an answer- the wrong one- on the board. The teacher looked at it and sighed, turning to another classmate to come correct it.

Kageyama collapsed in the seat next to him, sighing heavily.

"You should pay more attention," Kuroko murmured. Kageyama jerked at his sudden commentary. Kuroko'd been mostly silent this morning, even more so than usual.

"And you should be resting," Kageyama rebutted, never looking his way, pencil poised but not moving over his empty page. He sighed. The setter could be just as stubborn as Hinata. It explained why the two butted heads so frequently, at least.

He wouldn't ever say so- too many people would immediately insist he go home, when the last thing he wanted right now was to be alone- but it was taking a lot of energy just to keep his head upright.

Kageyama's eyes seemed to dart over to his frame - _slightly slouching in the chair, trying to find a position that didn't make his bones ache-_ "You can sleep, you know. I'll cover for you if someone sees."

It was highly unlikely anyone would see. Kageyama knew that- it was obvious by the sardonic note to his voice he wasn't pleased at the fact.

Still . . .

"I'll take notes for you so you don't miss anything?" Kageyama offered.

Kuroko's brow furrowed, side eyeing the setter.

"You don't take very good notes."

The statement came out blunter than he meant, but Kageyama didn't flinch- if anything, his lips twitched in a smile, back straightening.

"I can take good notes if I try. Now go to sleep."

He blinked. Kageyama watched him, waited, huffed, rolled his eyes, and shoved Kuroko's throbbing head down on the table.

"Take a nap, boge. You won't have the energy to stay awake during practice if you keep trying to fake attention now."

Kuroko blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden change in depth perception, but gave up when he realized how gloriously cool the desk was. It would take too much energy to prop his head back up.

Kageyama had a point-

No, he needed to pay attention. Needed to get good grades, or he'd get kicked off the basketball team, and that _could not happen_ , basketball was where his only friends were _-_

He'd get up. He would.

He'd just . . . rest his eyes for a minute.

* * *

 _Whum. Whum. Whum._

 _A volleyball flew from his hands, launching it in that familiar not-quite-touching movement that launched it across the court and into Aomine's hands-_

 _A whistle- or a buzzer? The points ticked up another notch._

 _Whum. Whum. Whum._

 _Passing by person after person, getting into the best position to pass. A basketball coming towards him. Colors flashing by his vision._

 _Red. Purple. Yellow. Blue._

 _Another hand motion, another muffled sound that meant points scored._

 _There was something missing._

 _Whum. Whum. Whum._

 _Orange. Where was orange?_

Hinata. . .

 _Blurred colors, lights, sounds, the feeling of his body moving without his direct permission, scoring point after point after point . . ._

 _The green shirted people stopped moving to block, stopped playing the game. Dark and light Blues were left to cover the court by themselves, buzzer sounding again and again._

 _Whum. Whum. Whum._

 _There was something wrong._

 _The ball felt all wrong in his hands. It was the wrong weight, the wrong color-_

He wanted to stop.

 _His feet kept moving, fingers kept sending the too heavy ball to Dark Blue. Kept walking forwards with Red, Yellow, Purple._

 _Orange . . . Where was Orange?_

 _A strange compulsion filled him. He needed to find Orange._

 _Reality distorted, bringing into sight a short, orange haired boy sitting in a hallway, watching a T.V._

 _Orange gagged, face filled with horror at whatever he was seeing. What was he seeing, that was so bad? He wanted to fix it, wanted to stop whatever was making Orange make that expression._

 _The vision disappeared, replaced with one of the green shirts going to score a point- he missed. Purple jumped and jammed the ball in._

 _Had- had Purple just scored for the other team? That . . . why did he feel so angry at that? Not at Purple for scoring against them, but for scoring for the other team . . .?_ Like they were so far ahead they could score against themselves and still win.

 _The words resonated, shook the very plane of reality. There was something- something he was missing._

 _Who were they playing against?_

 _A face flashed in his mind- brown, scruffy hair, a giant grin that distorted into an angry one, a crying one-_

Ogiwara.

 _Whum. Whum. WHum._

 _No._ _ **No.**_ _No noise could come through his lips, no scream of agony or pleading-_

 _He wasn't- shouldn't be-_

This wasn't how it happened, was it?

 _Red numbers, flashing across his vision like the pound of a gavel._ 111 to 11.

 _Orange, gagging in horror. He wanted to plead, wanted to get down on his knees and_ beg _for forgiveness, for letting this happen, but his words were sucked away before even crossing his lips-_

 _Darkness, encroaching on his vision, on his very being, choking him,_ _ **drowning him he was going to suffocate, going to die and he didn't care-**_

* * *

"Kuuuurokoooo!" The yell startled him from his sleep, and he jerked to his feet, blinking fiercely, suddenly able to breathe and _where was he what time was it why was the world spinning, oh look the floor-_

"Idiot, he was sleeping!"

His stomach hurt. His head was spinning. Was he standing? No, he was being sat down. But why had the floor disappeared?

No, he could feel it- it was under his feet again.

"Kuroko, you okay? Sorry I startled you, I didn't meant to wake you and make you fall over-!"

His head spun, trying to make sense of the sudden change, of the words coming out of Orange- Hinata's mouth. He looked over to the side, blinking the sleep out of his eyes to clear his vision.

Hinata was bowing repeatedly, mouth still running, and Kageyama was holding onto his arm, glaring at the oranget.

 _Hinata woke you up with his screaming-_

Woke him up? A dream, then?

He scrambled to piece together what had happened, but it was hard- the match was still playing out in his head, not as it had been, but as he _dreamed_ it had been . . .

Kageyama's arm tightened around his.

 _His arm, around his stomach, that's why it was in pain now. Kageyama had stopped him from face planting-_

He'd have to thank him for that. Maybe a vanilla milkshake . . . ?

 _Puking over the toilet, the smell of curdled milk and stomach acid- it didn't taste as good the second time._

The thought made his stomach roll, and he pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle the sudden wave of nausea.

"Kuroko?! Are you okay? Do you need a bucket?"

He shook his head stiffly, swallowing hard, all of a sudden very glad he'd skipped breakfast and lunch. Even if he did have to run to the bathroom, he probably wouldn't hurl- there was nothing in his stomach to come up.

"Breathe," Kageyama's voice suggested, hand resting between his shoulderblades. "That's what I always do when I'm sick."

"Breathe?" Hinata said sarcastically. "As opposed to what, dying?"

"No idiot, breathing through the nausea. It helps if you don't hold your breath- gives you something else to focus on so you don't puke your guts out."

"Not helping," Kuroko choked, and they both shut up. He focused on the fresh air rushing through his lungs and the churning in his stomach slowly subsided.

"Are you sure you feel good enough to go to practice?" Hinata said, worry making his voice shake. "I mean, I'm sure Daichi-san would be okay with me taking you home-"

"I'm going to practice," Kuroko interrupted, head snapping up. Both Kageyama and Hinata looked surprised at his sudden vehemence, but- he _needed_ to go to practice. Needed something to take his mind off the dream. He couldn't stay in a quiet apartment left with only his thoughts. It might break him.

"Alright," Kageyama said, hand moving off his shoulder. "Alright, we can go. But don't push yourself too hard- I don't want to have to drag your sick butt home again."

A smile threatened to break out on his face. He still felt off, like the world was warping under his feet, but he had people here who were looking out for him.

* * *

 _Maybe I_ should've _just gone home,_ He thought miserably. The medicine he'd taken that morning had worn off- the headache was returning with a vengeance, and the heat and scent of practice both made him want to play and barf.

 _It's better than thinking about that dream endlessly,_ another part of him muttered.

 _I'm thinking about it endlessly anyways,_ he thought back bitterly, kicking the ball back and forth between his toes. He'd run out of energy to set it long ago. Now it was just a matter of making sure his depth perception didn't fool him into thinking it was further away than it was-

The slamming of a door made his foot jerk, and the ball went skidding off to the other side of the court. He sighed. He didn't want to ask someone to get it for him _again._

Someone was yelling.

"I got a practice match for us! We're going to be playing against Aoba Johsai tomorrow!"

"W-what?!" Daichi exclaimed, surprised murmurs taking over the team. Kuroko could barely twist his head to meet eyes with Hinata. Thankfully, the oranget voiced the question they were both thinking.

"Who?" Hinata asked.

"Who? Aoba Johsai is one of the top four teams in the prefecture!" Tanaka said, arms waving. "How did you finagle that, Takeda-sensei? Did you spam them with phone calls again?"

"While I'm good at getting on my knees and begging, " He said, looking sheepish, "I actually didn't have to do that this time. We get to play against them on the condition that Kageyama plays Setter the whole game."

Tsukishima popped a hand on a hip, scowling. "It sounds like they're more interested in the famed King of the Court than us normal people."

"Oi," Kageyama growled, automatically ticked off by the nickname, but Sugawara interrupted the would-be fight with a well placed glare.

"That's fine. I may be Karasuno's official setter, but I have to say I want to see how Kageyama and Hinata's quick will work on a top four team."

Kuroko blinked slowly. Should he feel left out of this? There was a strange feeling of emptiness filling him.

"Yosh, let's practice! I'm all pumped up now- c'mon, Kageyama, gimme a toss!" Hinata yelled, already launching himself towards the net.

Most of the team shook their heads at the duo and returned to practice. Kuroko blinked unseeingly at the court for a long moment that was interrupted by the sudden presence of a ball in his lap.

Kuroko looked up to see Sugawara standing over him. "I think this was yours," Sugawara said lightly, settling down beside him so Kuroko didn't have to crane his neck. There was a moment of companionable silence before Kuroko opened his mouth to voice a sudden thought.

"Are you sure about this?"

Sugawara blinked in surprise at him, nodding firmly. "I mean, yeah," He sighed, propping an elbow on his knee. "As much as I want to play, practice matches like this don't come around very often. We used to be a powerhouse school, but after our fall from grace, we're only seen as the 'Fallen Crows'," He said those words bitterly, sighing again. "If playing against Seijou means having Kageyama play setter for the match, then it's worth it."

"Sugawara-senpai," Kuroko murmured. When Sugawara glanced at him again, he merely shook his head. "You're really cool, senpai."

He was too tired to say anything else as Sugawara waved his hands, protesting. "A-ah, don't just say things like that, Kuroko-kun, you're gonna make me embarrassed!"

 _They're nothing like Teiko,_ he noted sleepily, closing his eyes to the rumble of balls against the floor and Hinata's excited voice.

 _No one there would give up a starting position- even if it meant going up against a strong team._

He felt something warm drape over him, tickling his nose but lulling him further into the comfort of sleep.

 _Maybe Hinata had the right idea, coming to Karasuno._ He thought hazily.

That was the last coherent thought he had for a long while.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter!**

 **Thank you all for the wonderful outpouring of reviews- I think we got more for the last chapter than any other. It's great to know how you feel about this story, and how much you guys love it.**

 **Thanks also to everyone who came to our defense- Raph drafted a response to it, but we just want to put it behind us so we're just going to say: Any flames are just going to be deleted from here on out. We're not going to give them a platform here, especially since they're not even signing in so we can PM them.**

 **But everyone who reviewed deserves all the praise in the world, so here we go!**

 **We'reAllABitOdd, Yose Hyuann, RainyDayReader116, FarFromTheSun, Moonshadowcuteness1, CallofRanger13, purplejemrain, and iihcxMiJ- a big shoutout to you guys!**

 **And a very, very special thank you to AriehXIV- they left us a long, lovely review that had me crying and Raph feeling better. Not only that, but English isn't even their first language! Arieh, Raph and I have both learned second languages, and we know how hard it is to be articulate in them so I just want to say** _ **thank you**_ **not just for the well thought out review but for putting yourself out there for us. It means the world to us.**

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 **So long chapter and long author note, but thanks for reading and enjoying our story!**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Writing in Tandem**


	10. A Crow Has Claws Part 1

**BLARGH. Ok, so this chapter was an absolute pain. Not only is there a LOT going on, but I was sick the week of Thanksgiving and then I got RAPH sick, and then this chapter did not want to be written and . . .** _ **not to mention, midterms and FINALS have struck again at the SAME TIME and I'm at my wits end….**_

 **So yeah. Sorry for the long delay. Promise it won't always take this long. (** _ **but it's bound to happen again, we are only human after all)**_ **But we have an extra long chapter to make up for it so, yeah! Please enjoy! (** _ **you better, cause long time or not, we still slaved over this)**_

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay to be coming to the game?" The blatant concern in Kageyama's voice should've made him pleased- instead, Kuroko worked to not become one with the chair in front of him that housed the black haired setter. This was the fourth time since he'd gotten on the bus that someone had asked him that question. He normally didn't get irritated easily, but this was getting ridiculous.

"I'm _fine,_ Kageyama-kun," Kuroko insisted, not even bothering to raise his head this time around.

There was a beat of silence, the murmur of voices echoing around Kuroko's ears and Hinata's low breathing quickly lulling him back into lethargy.

"Is he still out of it?" Someone asked lowly.

"I think he's just resting," Kageyama said slowly. "Saving up his energy?" His tone lifted at the end, like he was completely unsure with his own hypothesis, even though he was completely right on both counts.

"Saving up his energy for _what?_ He's not playing." The protest instantly snapped Kuroko back to reality. He _wanted_ to play. That was the reason he was sitting on this bus.

"I can play," He insisted, bringing his head up and staring a concerned looking Sugawara-senpai in the face.

Sugawara shared a loaded look with Kageyama, before turning back to Kuroko. "Do you really think you'd be able to play like you are?" The words were said kindly, gently, letting him know he could say no and not feel bad in the least, but that wasn't what Kuroko wanted.

Not when he still had nightmares about the last time he sat out of a game.

He got so caught up in the flashbacks and overall feeling of nausea and dread that it took Tanaka's voice to cut through the chatter. He brought his head back up - _when had he started resting it again? Had he missed part of the argument? Had he lost it?-_

He blinked in the sight of Tanaka whacking Hinata on the back. "Well, we'll just have to rely on you instead, huh, Hinata? You and Mr. Genius Setter over there."

Suddenly, Hinata's weight shifted over onto his, reaching a trembling arm towards the window. Kuroko pushed back a little against the stifling weight, puzzled. He stopped immediately when he saw the state of his friend- Hinata's cheeks were tinged a sickly shade of green.

He whipped around. "Kageyama, the window-" he pleaded, but it was too late. Hinata's cheeks bulged and he spewed- all over Kuroko's lap.

His stomach rolled, instantly recognizing the stench of throw up and stomach rolling in response, despite his brain's pleas of - _not now, please-_

He closed his mouth, trying desperately to block the scent percolating through his facemask.

The thing about Hinata was, even though he had played countless practice matches against the Miracles, he still got nervous every time a real match came around.

So Kuroko wasn't all that surprised that Hinata had an upset stomach. What surprised him was that it was apparently bad enough to make the oranget puke. He'd never been _that_ nervous back in Teiko.

Or maybe he was looking at it wrong? Maybe it was because it was their first official volleyball match out of Teiko that Hinata was so nervous?

An arm elbowed him, shoving past, and Kuroko didn't even care that his space was being invaded because the stench was literally staring him in the face, and the arm attached to the smell was opening the window.

And at that moment he didn't care that his sweatpants were still warm with vomit. He didn't care that standing so suddenly made his head spin because there was _fresh air_. He gasped it in, relishing the breeze that the still moving bus created.

"I'm really sorry, Kuroko," Hinata said. Kuroko turned, surprised by the sight of hunched shoulders, of the strangely despondent tone. He slowly sat back down, never taking his eyes off his friend. Bringing his face back into the bus only made it harder to breathe, but he had a facemask for a reason- he would stand it.

"I'm used to it," He said instead, putting in the effort to make his tone light. "When have you ever not been nervous before a game?"

He ran out of fresh air, then, and all the activity was making him vaguely dizzy, so he left it at that. After all, Hinata knew the rest, right? Knew how everyone at Teiko had always looked at them with nostalgic long-suffering every time one of them suffered a bout of nerves. How their teasing was meant well, how nobody _really_ minded.

But Hinata only shrugged a single shoulder, moving to a seat a bit further away while Tanaka came forward, offering a bag for Kuroko's dirty sweats. He nodded his thanks, stripping off the fabric and stuffing it and the stench away.

His muscles began to shiver at the sudden absence of warmth, but he ignored it - _He still had his gym shorts after all, it wasn't like he was_ naked-. He sighed and returned his head to its resting position on the back of Kageyama's chair. It would be fine. He'd just go through warm ups with the rest of the team- after all, what better excuse was there to do them than being cold? Nobody could really protest.

The thought made him smile. It would be nice to be able to do drills with them again, after all the time he'd spent sitting out yesterday.

* * *

In all honesty, Kuroko had gone into this expecting Hinata to run into _someone_ at the bathroom.

Surprisingly, Tanaka found the opponent before Kuroko or Hinata did.

"Hey," Tanaka said, sneering at a couple kids wearing the white and blue jackets- jackets that looked so much like Teiko's jerseys he did a double take. "Don't underestimate us. Otherwise, we'll eat you alive." The words had a weight to them. A challenge that the players reeled back from, vaguely sheepish.

 _Don't underestimate us._

Kuroko blinked, surprise making his fingers twitch. Tanaka's words held the feeling of roteness that Kuroko's always had every time he appeared "suddenly". It was the tone of something that got repeated a lot.

Which begged the question: how often had they been called the Fallen Crows? How often had they been looked down on by schools like Aoba Johsai, were victims of mocking like the Miragens had made all of their opponents?

"Maa maa, don't do that scary face, Tanaka-san," Tsukishima mocked, sidling up beside him so he could glare better down his nose. "You'll scare the poor little elites."

Seeming delighted that he was playing along, Tanaka let out a savage grin. "Ah, you're right, we should save our trash talk for the match."

Kuroko shifted on his feet, eyes searching instinctively for Hinata even though he knew the oranget would be heading to the bathroom right about now. He would've taken to the trash talk with relish, no doubt.

Daichi came racing around the corner and berating them. Kuroko felt amusement curl in his stomach as he watched Tsukishima just up and walk away. He was just about to follow the team towards the locker rooms when a call from one of the other players stopped his feet cold.

"Oi, _King_ , what kind of dictatorship do you run these days? I look forward to seeing it in the match." The words were cold and cutting, the smirk on the guy's face and the way his friend snickered telling Kuroko the guy knew _exactly_ how hurtful those words were supposed to be.

Kuroko turned his feet, glaring at the Turnip head with all the energy he could muster. Turnip didn't even blink.

Kageyama didn't seem to understand the underlying message, because he simply nodded. "Yeah. See you in the match."

Kuroko continually glared, even when he followed Kageyama past them and into the school. He ran into the frame of the door, mistiming his entrance with how much space he needed.

Thankfully, Kageyama was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't catch Kuroko's moment of incoordination. Unfortunately, Kageyama's longer legs and Kuroko's recent illness meant he had to jog slightly to keep up.

"What did they mean when they called you King?" Kuroko asked after another moment of silence, trying to regulate his breathing.

The term had been bothering him ever since the confrontation with Tsukishima. The only people he knew who had titles in sports had done something special to earn them- and based on the way Turnip had said the word . . . well, Kuroko thought he had a right to be worried.

Kageyama jumped nearly a foot in the air, pressing a hand to his chest as he whipped around to look at Kuroko. "When did you show up? I swear you appear out of nowhere sometimes." He muttered. Then, like he had finally internalized the question, blinked and averted his gaze. "You . . . didn't hear about it?"

Kuroko shook his head minutely, lips turning down in worry. "The Little Giant's the only real volleyball person I know." He explained, trying not to feel sheepish, and Kageyama scoffed, shaking his head.

"Hinata," He said, like it was the answer to all of life's mysteries—or maybe the cause of them?

Kageyama stared at him for a second before sighing heavily. "I guess you wouldn't know, having been playing basketball when it happened. . ."

The setter's fists clenched, glaring out the hallway towards where the noise was coming from. What was it that had put those shadows in the setter's eyes? Surely—he felt a pang in his chest as Kageyama opened his mouth and confirmed his encroaching fear.

"Those guys, they used to be on my team. Last year, our last match . . . I tossed. They weren't there to spike it. They—they _gave up_ on me."

Kuroko's heart dropped in his chest. He'd known—known the moment he'd walked past the gym back in middle school that something was going on with the setter. Knew from their experience with Tsukishima that his team had practically abandoned him. But hearing all the details—seeing the sheer amount of pain in Kageyama's eyes— _that_ made his blood boil.

Why? Why did people insist on alienating talented people? Why did teammates—why did friends abandon each other?

It was a question Kuroko seemed doomed to ask eternally, because after all of this he still hadn't found an answer. Still, there were a couple key things he had learned that he was going to hammer into Kageyama's head if it was the last thing he did.

"That's stupid," he said bluntly, ignoring Kageyama's jerk. "You may have earned the nickname King for reckless tosses on the court, but that's no excuse to stop playing."

 _-No excuse to quit, no excuse to skip, you hypocrite you had everything Kageyama wanted and you threw it all away-_

He grit his teeth. There was a _reason_ he had left. It was the same reason Kageyama had the look in his eyes right now. "They may have abandoned you," Kuroko said, voice dropping, looking away from Kageyama's shocked face so the genius setter wouldn't see that Kuroko wasn't talking entirely to him anymore.

"They may have treated you like trash, may have completely ignored you, but we won't. We won't leave you behind," He promised, and then snorted. "I doubt Hinata would never give up on a toss from you. It means too much to him."

He paused. Where was Hinata? He hadn't seen him, not since the oranget had ran off the bus and towards the school, presumably looking for the bathroom.

"You know," Kageyama's voice said again, and Kuroko snapped back to attention, staring bewilderedly at the now sheepish setter. "That goes for me too. The abandoning thing, I mean. I won't leave you guys behind either."

Kuroko couldn't move, couldn't push words out of his gaping mouth. Bright red suffused over Kageyama's cheeks as he turned around, looking like he was trying not to run away towards the locker rooms.

Warmth that had nothing to do with the fever filled him.

Looks like trusting Hinata's choice in friends had paid off after all.

* * *

He'd gotten there too late, it seemed. Bouts of dizziness forced him to lean against the wall at some points, even though he wanted to keep sprinting.

 _How am I going to play if I can't even run?_

By the time he'd hobbled to the bathroom, Hinata had already completed his run and was in the middle of his inevitable encounter with an opposing team member.

"His toss is amazing." Hinata was saying. Kuroko's brow furrowed. There was only one person Hinata spoke with that slightly awestruck slightly jealous tone of voice about- _well, one person here. There's always the Miracles. You haven't forgotten he used to brag about them all the time?_

Kuroko clenched his fingers into his palms. There was no reason Hinata would talk about the Miracles here- and definitely not with that tone of voice. But that still didn't explain- why was Hinata talking about Kageyama with an opponent?

"Wow, you've never gotten a toss from him in a game, have you?" The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but also so frustratingly arrogant that Kuroko peeked around the corner just to make sure it wasn't Aomine. "Listen, whoever he doesn't need, he discards. It's that simple."

A sharp breath. Kuroko felt the blood rush from his head, barely registering Hinata's greening face, not doubting for a moment that he looked similar. _Thank goodness no one can see you. They'd never let you on the court._

Suddenly Tanaka's voice rang out in the hallway, booming confidence seeming to put the ground back under his feet, reestablishing equilibrium to the world. "That may be the Kageyama you knew back in Middle School, but he's changed since then. Just wait til the match, we'll show you- right Hinata?"

Kuroko leaned his head back against the wall, grinning slightly. Tanaka was always right. Kageyama had definitely changed since the moment Kuroko had seen him in Middle School. Sure, he might've ruled the court much like Akashi had back then - _If it's so wrong why are you condoning it? You hypocrite.-_ but the setter had changed.

He repeated that last part multiple times to make sure it stuck.

Kageyama had changed- Hinata had changed him. That much was obvious just from the tone of voice Hinata used for him. So the annoying jerk was completely wrong.

"H-hinata?!" Tanaka cried, to gagging sounds and then a slamming door.

The Jerk was wrong, right?

"Yeah, we'll see him. I'm looking forward to seeing how his dictatorship works with people like these," the Jerk mocked, turning the corner blindly and running straight into Kuroko.

He didn't move. The Jerk's words were still reverberating in his ears. _Dictatorship._

Is that what he thought? The guy- _black haired, spiked up, looks like a turnip-_ had no idea what a Dictatorship was. Had no _idea_ what it was like to be on a team with no agency. Had no idea what it was like for a team to fall apart out from under you.

"You were on his team." Kuroko said, voice frigid and uncaring. He didn't know if it was the sickness having a lingering effect on his mind or the sheer amount of anger that had been building since Tsukishima's barbed words before that fateful 3 on 3. He didn't know, but he didn't care either.

He didn't care that the turnip head was looking at him like he'd appeared out of thin air - _he_ hadn't _, and he was tired of people pretending he had-_ Instead, he did his approximation of a glare- the slight furrowing of his brow and downturn of his lips that had Turnip stuttering, putting his hands on his hips defensively.

"Sure I was. Idiot had the most reckless tosses you've ever seen," Turnip said, then dropped his arms, cocking his head at Kuroko, eyes firming. "What good is a setter who can't even set a ball the spiker can hit? Chances are Shrimpy-chan is gonna get dropped before the day is out." Then he shrugged, like abandonment wasn't a big deal, like it didn't _matter._

"You're wrong." Kuroko murmured. He closed his eyes. It wasn't submissive, no matter how it came across. It was him trying not to breathe _fire._

When he opened them again their stares at him didn't faze him in the slightest. He didn't care how badly he was covering up his emotions, didn't care how this might draw attention to him on the court. It needed to be said.

"Kageyama has changed since middle school. He _isn't_ the same person you knew. He's gotten better, he's made friends, and he won't abandon them like _you_ did," He nearly spat, tone frigid but eyes blazing. Turnip took a step back, but Kuroko wasn't done.

"We've done more to become a team in a week than you did for him in three years," Kuroko said, disgusted. He turned a shoulder away, but found himself unable to leave it there. "You might've known him back then, but you don't know him now- and if you go onto that court expecting to be facing the same setter, you're going to lose. Excuse me."

And with that he brushed past them, glaring straight ahead and nearly stomping towards the bathroom. He paused, turning his voice but not his head towards the still figure.

"I'm going to wait for Hinata, Tanaka-san. You can go on ahead." He said, tone still a little cool.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but a huffed laugh drew his attention. Tanaka was giving him a lopsided grin, backing up to lean against the wall. "You can be a bit scary, you know that, Kuroko-kun?" He commented.

He blinked once. Twice.

 _What?_

Tanaka just laughed again, scruffing a hand against Kuroko's scalp before skipping off to the gym.

For a moment he could only stare at the retreating figure. Who in their right mind would call _Kuroko_ scary? Not anyone who'd met Akashi, certainly. Or a hungry Murasakibara.

 _Then again,_ he thought, stepping backwards to lean against the wall next to the bathroom. Hinata would be out soon. _None of them have met anyone besides Kise._

It would stay that way, if Kuroko had anything to say about it.

After all, none of them needed the past dredged up- it was enough that Kageyama had to deal with his old teammates. He didn't want to add any bombshells like the Generation of Miracles to the pile.

* * *

"Ah, Kuroko, Hinata, you're back!" Daichi called, glancing between them as if checking for injury. Kuroko was still wound pretty tight, but Hinata seemed less tense, shoulders relaxed in a way they hadn't been before.

"Is it our turn to practice yet? Can I hit a couple spikes? Hey, Kageyama, come over here, gimme a toss!" With that the orange blob was off to pester the setter. Daichi watched him go before turning back to Kuroko.

" _Thank you,_ " He said quietly. The amount of gratitude in his eyes made Kuroko shift a little on his feet.

"I didn't do much," he protested just as quietly. He really hadn't. He hadn't been in any shape to provide much emotional support, but when Hinata had come out of the bathroom looking nervous, all Kuroko had had to do was smile a bit and nudge the oranget's elbow. Hinata had perked right up, demanding they return to the court to warm up.

Daichi didn't seem to agree with this, though, because he shook his head, face kind but serious. "Tanaka told us what happened," He explained, putting his hands up when Kuroko stiffened. "I'm not berating you. I'm telling you why I'm glad you came to Karasuno."

He blinked.

 _What?_

Daichi grinned again, lowering his hands to a more relaxed position. "You guys might be troublesome but you took the initial lesson seriously. I'm glad we can count on you to look out for each other."

Kuroko blinked again, barely managing a nod. The captain grinned, patting his shoulder before moving away to warm up.

His hand reached up to touch the shoulder Daichi had patted. "Sugawara-senpai?"

The setter looked to him, curious. Kuroko couldn't find it in himself to bring his gaze from the floor. "What did he mean by 'initial lesson?'"

"Oh, what he just said? I think he meant with the 3 on 3," Sugawara explained, propping a ball on his hip. "You guys had more tension between new teammates than most- I know I was concerned about it at first, but based on what I've seen . . . well, I don't think you'll have any more problems."

Sugawara waited patiently for a response, but Kuroko couldn't form words. Thankfully Hinata took that moment to come barrelling back to him, demanding to know if he felt well enough to warm up, with Kageyama yelling in the background to leave him alone to rest.

When he looked back again, Sugawara was smiling at the scene.

Kuroko didn't know if he could live up to the expectations the third years were setting . . . but he could try. He could try to fit in with this team.

 _After all,_ he thought, just slightly bitter, _It's not like I can do much worse than Teiko, can I?_

* * *

Hinata was tense.

He didn't know if anyone noticed- it wasn't like it was obvious. The extra clenching of fists, being a little louder, a little bolder.

 _Well, anyone but Kuroko,_ he conceded, glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be doing okay- Hinata had worried ceaselessly ever since Kuroko had nearly barfed out the bus window, but it didn't seem to be affecting him now.

 _Granted, Kuroko is the master of the poker face,_ a little voice whispered. _He could just be hiding it from you. It wouldn't be the first time._

 _I know him better now,_ He thought back vehemently, spiking the next ball a little too hard and sending it careening into the other team. He didn't feel very sorry- not even when Daichi forced his head down in apology.

So yes, Hinata was tense, but not for the reason people probably thought. Sure this was his first real game, since Akashi had never set him loose on the basketball court. Sure, they were facing one of the best teams in the prefecture. Sure, maybe Daichi had had to have a pointed talk about trump cards and not wasting energy with them before coming.

(Granted that seemed to be directed more at Kuroko, who was probably itching to get out on the court right about now, because Kuroko didn't listen to anyone when it came down to playing or not. Most of the time he could get away with disobeying orders simply because no one could see him break them. Not that he ever used that skill for anything except basket- volleyball.)

So no, Hinata wasn't nervous because of the game.

He was nervous because that sixth sense- the one honed over years of hallway and bathroom encounters- the one that he'd deadened for a while because he was _always_ surrounded by great players, because for all their arrogance the Miracles _were_ prodigies _, was going off._

He took a breath, stepping aside so Tsukishima didn't "accidentally" hit him in the head while practicing his serves. Which meant he was in perfect position to overhear a couple of girls talking as they walked past the open gym doors.

"Did you hear who's coming?"

"Of course! I can't wait- do you think I'd be able to get a picture with him?"

"Only if you get me one too! I want to be able to rub his good looks in Saki's face. See what she thinks about his modeling career _then._ "

The hair rose on the back of his neck.

"Hinata?" Kageyama asked, holding a ball and staring at him expectantly. Hinata nodded vaguely, relying on the muscle memory they'd built to guide him through the drills as he focused his ears on the conversation.

"- greatest player on the team!"

"I can believe it- did you hear that he might be a prodigy? I can't wait to see-"

 _Dang it,_ Hinata cursed, diving forward to receive and ending up skidding on the floor, missing the ball completely.

"Don't mind, don't mind!" Daichi called, and Hinata nearly growled as he picked himself up off the ground and went to retrieve the ball that had gone askew. He couldn't hear the girls talking anymore.

 _Double dang it._

Girls who were excited about someone who was coming who just happened to be a model and a prodigy? Did the universe hate them that much? He thought Kise had agreed to stay away from them from now on.

 _Since when do any of them keep their promises?_ He thought bitterly, picking up the ball and clenching it in between his hands. _Even Akashi didn't make good on his promise to let me play . . ._

A familiar presence niggled at his senses, and Hinata brought his head up to meet Kuroko's baby blue eyes, fogged in concern. He summoned up a smile, tossing the ball to him before going to the end of the receiving line.

He was running away and knew it. Kuroko would know something was up. It made him uneasy- one the one hand, Kuroko had enough to worry about. On the other hand, Hinata didn't want Kuroko caught by surprise when stuff hit the fan.

Hinata didn't want Kise anywhere near here, but he _especially_ didn't want him around while Kuroko was still recovering. The blonde would probably find some excuse to hang around and make another argument that he obviously wasn't doing well at Karasuno if he was getting sick, and that couldn't be allowed. If Kuroko was forewarned, he could duck out when the blonde menace showed his face.

But, on the slim chance it wasn't Kise, Hinata would keep his mouth shut. The last visit was still close to the surface- he didn't want to bring it up again if he didn't have to.

* * *

It was almost absurdly easy to channel all his frustration into the game. Easy to slip into his role as decoy. Easy to draw all the attention to himself, all the while only keeping half a brain on the game. Easy to see the growing concern on Kageyama's face as Hinata repeatedly smacked the ball with too much force.

It was also harder. Harder to ignore the way the frustration put blinders on him, how it served as a double edged sword. Harder to ignore Kuroko's fidgeting on the bench, knowing his friend wanted to play but still remain adamant in the fact that he _couldn't._ Harder still to remember how it felt to be on the bench watching other people play a sport you loved. Hard to remember to force his body to move that slightest touch slower, to accommodate Kageyama's toss speed.

Hard to deal with the bitterness that was tainting his enjoyment of _playing in a game_ , of being part of a _team._

"Hinata!" Kageyama called, and he blinked. The ball was going over _there._

 _How long would it take to get there?_

Two strides, bracing, springing, seeing the white of the net-

His muscles didn't feel the strain anymore as he bent backwards, snapping forward to propel the ball with all the momentum of the motion, straight down onto the court.

 _Is it supposed to be this easy?_

Dull cheers in the background.

The colors seemed monochrome in his vision, breathing not even labored.

 _Is it supposed to be normal?_

Hands whacking down on his back, celebratory grins as the score ticked up one more notch. They were at the set point.

 _Is this what it feels like, to be a Miracle?_

He breathed, glancing around the court. A flash of blue- _Dark blue, walking away from them, not needed anymore, too skilled to be challenged-_ concerned eyes.

He blinked harshly. In an instant, time sped up again, color returned to the world, and his ears were bombarded with sound.

 _Kuroko._

His team.

The game.

He was _playing._

Kuroko was sitting on the bench, sitting straight up, one hand on the bench like he as planning on launching himself onto the court the moment someone looked away.

Tsukishima, Daichi, Tanaka, Ennoshita- they were all high fiving each other.

Kageyama was . . . still looking at him, puzzlement creasing his brow.

Like a dog shaking off water, Hinata forcefully brushed off his previous attitude.

He wasn't going to go back on all his progress just because of some girly gossip. He had no right to mope. Not with Kuroko still by his side, not with all the teammates that they'd met, not with Kageyama, literally the greatest setter in the prefecture.

With one last glance at Kuroko, he turned to Kageyama, grinning broadly. "Let's go get the next one!"

Kageyama blinked, then smirked. "Definitely."

In tandem, they looked over to see Dachi grinning at them, then proceeded to wave them over and huddled in, locking arms around their necks. "Karasuno, Fight!"

Hinata looked at their hands, all gathered together in the circle, and this time, his grin was real. Yeah, he had no right to mope. When had he ever had a team like this before?

Then, all at once, all the happiness drained out of him. All it took was the piercing squeal of fangirls. Hinata's back forced itself upwards, fists clenching as his head turned towards the source of the noise.

 _Here we go._

The team closed ranks, brushing against his shoulders, much like they had the last time. Like they were braced for battle. . .

"What?"

Ennoshita wasn't the only one feeling confused. Hinata had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating the brown hair.

This guy, whoever he was, was not Kise.

"You're late," #4 accused, stalking up to not-Kise, vein throbbing at his temple.

"Ah, sorry, Iwa-chan, I got held up giving those cute girls some autographed pictures-"

"Idiot!" A shoe launched itself at not-Kise's head, and Hinata worked hard not to balk.

 _Yeah, are we sure Kise didn't dye his hair and join volleyball? Because this guy definitely looks the part, with his grin and utter disregard for punctuality- I wouldn't put it past him to infiltrate volleyball just to get at us-_ Hinata thought, rapid fire jumping from one conclusion to the next, each one getting more ridiculous.

"I'm going to kill him."

The blunt statement broke the tension cloying their throats, and there was a smack followed by a sigh. Daichi facepalming, probably.

"Tanaka, _no."_

"Tanaka _yes,_ " Tsukishima rebutted, disgust filling every syllable. "I'm irritated just looking at this guy."

Kageyama shifted at his shoulder, and Hinata looked up to him. The setter's brow was furrowed again, but the way his eyes followed not-Kise's movements . . . The way his fingers twitched, feet shifting . . . Hinata hadn't known him for very long, but he would bet Natsu's pair of lucky socks that there was history there.

"We're going to win," Hinata said, and Kageyama jerked, looking down at him in surprise. "That's what you wanted to say, right?"

Kageyama blinked twice, but then nodded, fire relighting in his eyes, resolve straightening his shoulders.

It didn't matter who they were facing. They'd beat them. Together.

* * *

 **Whoo! And done!**

 **So a huge shoutout to all our reviewers and favoriters- we've got nearly 160 followers, and we passed the 50 reveiwer mark! I'm so impressed!**

 **Since this is a big milestone, we're going to respond to y'all's reviews here!**

 **Aquarius74** _ **:**_ **Thanks for your kind words! It always means a lot when people recognize the amount of time we put into these to make them just right. :)** _**seriously you should see how hard this girl works, she loves y'all so much…..**_

 **CherepMikhailov:** **Honestly, I think we felt the same way when we first started writing this. It was hard to break Kuroko away from basketball, just because it's such a core part of his character. But he's going to have his own development that he's going through, and with all the Miracles, basketball is guaranteed to make another appearance!**

 **Siera-Knightwalker:** **Love all the brainstorming you have going on! As for if Kuroko's going back to basketball . . . sorry, no spoilers! You'll just have to wait and see. As for Hinata, he did have the same training as the Miracles, so you're right in the fact that he's going to have increased agility. The part where he was clumsy was that he wasn't used to the net being there. That increased agility bled into volleyball, which is why we don't have him closing his eyes. He's at the point where he can sync with the ball without Kageyama doing all the work for him.**

 **AriehXIV :** **You always leave such long and lovely reviews! I like seeing them because they're so in depth and it just feels great to know that people really understand all the subtext we have going on. But glad you enjoyed the chapter with all its angst, and hope this chapter lived up to the hype!**

 **ZeAwsumOtaku:** **So part of the reason we started writing this fic is because there weren't really and long complete ones out there, so glad that we can supply that for you! We're trying to keep up the pace, but again it's been a hectic couple weeks. Sorry for the delay, and hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Zentin:** **You hit the nail right on the head :) Misdirection is something we're going to address, but you're right- Kuroko doesn't feel exactly at home, not like Hinata is starting to.**

 **Lunary:** **You're absolutely right, we will be seeing a lot more of the miracles- all of them. They play a pretty big role in the rest of the story. We're also pretty excited for the rest of the cast to make appearances- they're certainly going to bombshell their way into this story, that's for sure!**

 **Yose Hyuann:** **Sorry that you didn't get to see Kuroko play this chapter! You were probably looking forward to it- don't worry though, we'll see him play again in the future!**

 **PetiteEmporor4:** **Ahaha, sorry that we didn't update as soon as you probably would've liked! Hope you enjoyed it though!**

 **RainyDayDreamer116:** **Oh I'm totally with you on the conflicted feelings. I'm all for just getting them better but then we'd be left without a story . . . plus Raph loves angst/comfort, so there's that. XD Also, no spoilers, but you're free to speculate on what the other Miracles' reactions are going to be! Who knows, we may use it as fuel for future chapters :)**

 **and** **ThePsychoPath96:** **We actually hadn't thought of that! Thanks for the suggestion! (It actually sparked a whole new sidestory idea, so please, by all means, keep suggesting things. It only fuels more writing. hahaha)**

 _ **I'm not nearly as good at individual responses, so I'll leave that to Mikey, but….it means a lot y'all. I love opening my email and seeing that someone else reviewed, and then Mikey and I get excited over text about it and it's like, the best part of my day. We love seeing all our hard work and brainstorming get you all so pumped, and we LOVE seeing you all speculate about what we're going to do with them next. It helps us see that the clues were dropping are being understood, and that's really important to us, because soooooo much of this story is tied up in the little things. We can promise that there is a VERY complex plot to this story, with very real problems and situation that get worked out by the end… let's just say, don't expect this to be a short story, or a simple one. Honestly… we're barely getting started. There is so, so much more to come. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say this story is maybe, MAYBE a fourth or fifth of the way done. And that's not counting the side stories, the spin offs and the song fics we've already started to go along with. Including those- this is just the tip of the iceberg. So for all you fans out there….hold on tight. This family is going to come ALIVE.**_

 _ **ALSO ! I thought we should probably tell you...we don't write romance. Neither of us are really into it, and it won't be a part of this fic at all. It's all completely platonic here, just a big happy volleyball bro family. Feel free to think what you want, we don't mind, but don't wait for it to show up in writing… sorry it's not gonna happen.**_

 **Don't let us rain on your parade- you can certainly ship to your heart's content, come up with your own headcannons etc- it's just not going to be part of the IYPN cannon storyline. Honestly there's so much going on I really don't think I could shove a pairing in there. XD**


	11. A Crow Has Claws Part 2

**So, this was a long time coming. I wish I could've given this to you guys for Christmas, but of course Christmas, and then both Raph and I were sick and- So now you get it for New Years! (I promise updates will be faster now that we're not worrying about Christmas Cramming ;)**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own any sports franchises! (Yet.)**

* * *

 _I want to play._

A shrill whistle, announcing another point received.

 _I want to play._

Sugawara, the other second years filling the air with their cheers, hoarse encouragement.

 _Why can't I play?_

His knee bounced up and down, fingers drumming ceaselessly against the metal. For what was probably the first time, Kuroko felt like Hinata- energy pulsing through his veins, pushing him into motion.

Except that he couldn't play.

The thought ached.

 _It wasn't the only thing._

His joints protested any movement- warm ups had been equal parts welcome and torture. It was painfully obvious that he wasn't anywhere near full health- that would only come with time and recuperation.

He didn't want to wait for his muscles to stop shaking at the slightest bits of exercise. He wanted to stop having to take medicine every four hours to make sure his brain could function.

Kuroko wanted to _play._

 _You're not going to get to. Not with how good Hinata is doing,_ a small voice said snidely in his ears, a seed of jealousy curling in his stomach as the oranget went to spike sporting a huge grin, cheering with the team when it went through.

When the team called a timeout, Kuroko did nothing but sit on the bench, watching silently as everyone interacted, passing around water bottles and towels. Any questions on his health were met with a blank stare and a nod.

And for the most part he was left alone- until Daichi sat down with a furrowed brow and explanation on his lips.

"I'm sorry we can't put you in," Daichi said, sounding surprisingly apologetic, "But we need you as a trump card. We're going to be facing Seijou in the future. If we show you off now, there's no doubt in my mind that they'll find a counter for you." The captain's crease got larger as he stared at their opponents on the other side.

"For now, we're trying to keep their focus on the freak duo. Then," he said, looking back at Kuroko with a smirk, "you'll come on the court, and we'll beat them and go to Nationals."

Kuroko nodded obediently.

 _What Captain says goes._ Kuroko was just surprised that Daichi had deigned to explain his reasoning. - _He didn't dare to hope that the comment had been spurred by some care for his mental state. He had been wrong about that too many times in the past to nurture that hope now.-_

Daichi looked at him for a moment as if waiting for a response before shrugging and gathering the team for a huddle. Then they were off again, and Kuroko was left to ruminate over Captain's words.

On the one hand, Daichi had more than enough reason to stop him from getting on the court. Kuroko's Misdirection had a limited amount of time that it worked on the court _-nobody but Hinata knows why you're called the Phantom, stop trying to fool yourself-_ The more people were exposed to it the greater the chances that they would find a way around it.

Another whistle, in Seijou's favor this time.

On the other hand, that might not be the _only_ reason Daichi was stopping him from playing. He was sick, and it was honestly a miracle that he hadn't infected everyone else on the team yet. Limiting his amount of contact with a ball that would be passing hands a lot was probably wise. But all that logic didn't lesson his want to play any- didn't lessen the feeling that he just wasn't needed here.

 _Not needed never needed why did you come?_

He pressed a fist against his chest, rubbing at the tension that had built up there.

"Kuroko? You alright?"

Sugawara's voice was a surprise. His lungs expanded suddenly, and he blinked several times to bring himself back to the present. "Sugawara-senpai?" he asked.

The silver-haired man was staring at him in that way that made his heart clench again. Was it the chest pains returning or the way Sugawara was looking at him like he was almost _concerned?_ "You looked like you were in pain for a minute there." The setter said leadingly.

"Ah. No, I'm fine Senpai. You don't need to worry about me." He insisted, straightening. He shoved his hands in his lap, trying to warm the cold digits. _Dang it._ The _last_ thing he wanted right now was to give Captain more of a reason to keep him on the bench.

"Just because I don't need to worry about you doesn't mean I don't, you know" Sugawara said gently. He turned slightly, eyeing the match. "It hurts not being able to play, doesn't it?"

Kuroko blinked. That wasn't where he expected this conversation to go.

 _You weren't expecting to have a conversation at all._

He ignored the snide murmurings. "You're more observant than people think, Sugawara-senpai." Which was a nice change from being completely overlooked 99% of the time, but he seemed cursed to be noticed in the exact moments he didn't want to be.

Sugawara looked indignant. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The sudden show of concern and open indignation was enough to make a laugh want to bubble out of his throat. That laugh died instantly when his eyes caught Turnip's hair attempting to block Hinata. He was vindictively pleased when his hands didn't even come close to the oranget's spike.

The tension, the undivided focus of those on the court, they moved something in him, and Kuroko found himself opening up a bit, like a flower unfurling tentatively in dawn's gentle light. "I . . . was thinking of my old team," Kuroko said slowly, Sugawara-senpai turning to listen politely. "I was benched a lot back then too."

Of course, that was the simplest explanation, with no need to go into detail. But Sugawara would understand. He always had before. And, true to form, Sugawara reached up to grasp Kuroko's shoulder with a steady hand.

"You know we all care about you, right?" Sugawara said, head tilted so that he could meet Kuroko's eyes, that strange undercurrent of steel returning. - _The steel he'd only seen once, back when Kise had shown his face-_ "We're not going to abandon you, and we're not going to stop worrying about you. Invisible or not, we're gonna look after you."

"Sugawara-senpai," Kuroko said, warmth flooding him. His brain was going fuzzy again- he wanted to lay down. A stray thought passed from his head to his lips without asking permission first. "You're the mom friend, aren't you?"

The sudden sputtering was strangely satisfying, and he turned back to watch the match, allowing a brief lapse of the iron control he'd learned so he could lean briefly against Sugawara's shoulder and murmur a Thank You.

The hand fluffing his hair in return felt much better than it logically should. But he was content to throw logic out the window for a day.

* * *

His warmth and contentment was ruined in a split second of noise.

The squealing was so sudden he jerked to his feet, shoulders tense and mind spinning with _who's screaming what's wrong who's fighting where's Hinata._

And also dizziness, but that didn't matter when people were closing ranks around him in response to Ki-

It wasn't Kise.

He was fine.

At least, that was what he told himself as he unclenched his fingers, staring idly at the nail marks he'd left on his palms. He had to avoid eye contact with the brown-haired volleyball player that had just entered and was staring at him out of the corner of his eye.

 _Not good._

But then the brunet was getting hit in the head with a volleyball, and he was acting like an idiot, and the tension around the team dissolved, even as his own heightened.

 _A calculating stare hidden behind a cheerful facade._ How many times had he noted that exact same oxymoronic combination in his old teammates? From people you would never expect to be cunning having the capability of tearing you apart after a glance.

This newcomer, whoever he was, was _dangerous._

"I'm going to kill him," Tanaka commented, cracking his knuckles. Daichi facepalmed, sighing, and the tension dropped out of the team's frames, one at a time.

"Tanaka, no," Daichi pleaded.

"Tanaka, yes," Tsukishima rebutted, glancing at Kuroko so quickly he blinked to make sure he hadn't imagined it, but when he looked again Tsukishima was sneering at the brunet. "I'm irritated just looking at this guy."

 _Tsukishima has good instincts,_ Kuroko thought, eyes scanning the whole gym, noting the fangirls on the balcony, the Seijou coach exchanging words with the newcomer, Hinata's untied shoelace. _If he's feeling the same impending doom that I am._

"Tsukki, calm down," Yamaguchi said weakly, nerves chipping away even more at his normal composure. Surprisingly, Tsukishima heard and paid attention to Yamaguchi's stuttered words, because his shoulders lost some of their tightness, hands coming to his side.

"Oh well. We'll just have to crush him even harder, won't we?"

The whistle blew- the start of the second half was starting.

"I want in," Kuroko blurted. Everyone around him turned with various expressions of shock and concern.

"We've told you before," Sugawara started kindly, and he shook his head harshly. How was he supposed to explain that this was different? He didn't just _want_ to play anymore- there was something coming, he needed to be out there for it-

"This isn't that."

"Are you wanting to play against Oikawa?" Kinoshita asked, and Kuroko jerked, looking over at the second year's open features.

"We get it," Narita added. "All of us. But there's only so many positions on the court, right? So the ones that have the best chance of beating the pants off of them go in."

"That seems wrong," Kuroko said, voice quieting as he took in the court. Seijou was starting with the ball. "Shouldn't it be the ones who want to play the most?"

"You're not the only one to think like that," Sugawara said, and Kuroko studied the third year's gentle features that were belied by his fierce eyes. "But personally, I think that the ones who want to play the most are the ones who tend to work the hardest. All that desire fuels their practice- eventually they'll have to get their chance on the court, don't you think?"

"Not always," Kuroko muttered bitterly.

He remembered all too well his days in third string- _wanting_ was not nearly enough motivation for those members. They could want and wish all they liked- if you didn't put any work in, it didn't matter.

Still, there was a kernel of truth to what Sugawara-senpai had said. Kuroko _had_ wanted it, had wanted it so badly he dedicated every spare moment of time to it- and with a bit of luck _-quite literally running into Aomine in the fourth gym in his after-practice session, Akashi taking him under his wing-_ he had gotten out on the court.

Not everyone was that lucky.

A silence had descended upon the group after his words.

He left it. There was nothing he wanted to add to his statement- he didn't want to clarify, didn't want to prompt any questions- nor did he want to retract it. Everyone would see that for the lie it was, no matter how little they knew him.

Instead, he busied himself analyzing the game - _Turnip tended to jump off on his right foot, but his shots angled to the left in a strange quirk he didn't think was purposeful.-_ all the while keeping an eye on Oikawa.

The Kise look alike was warming up diligently, with a focus and rigor that reminded him of the first string back in Teiko. The single-mindedness and determination to be at the top of your game-

He dragged himself out of that line of thought immediately, scrutinizing the player to find out what else had triggered the memory.

A minute of study held the answer. The exercises Oikawa was doing- stretching different parts of his knees, ankles, and lesser tendons- they were familiar to Kuroko, as a basketball player, but it had never been something they had done in Karasuno.

He turned it over in his mind, turning the majority of his attention back to the game.

 _So, he either played basketball in the past,_ he thought, as Ennoshita went for a spike that was picked up immediately by #4, _Seijou has different warm ups as we do,_ Seijou didn't manage a spike, barely making it over the net, which Hinata instantly rectified, their points ticking up another notch, _or he has some reason for why he needs to strengthen those specific set of muscles._

And there was only one reason someone in volleyball would need to do leg strengthening exercises. Aomine had been forced into them by Akashi so that he could jump as many times as he did. Same with Murasakibara. Same with anyone in basketball so they didn't suffer jumper's knee.

Kuroko would put a lot of money on Oikawa suffering from it. He'd bet against anyone that said otherwise- might even make a bundle of money off it too, seeing as nobody at Karasuno knew not to bet against him yet. (nobody except Hinata, and he could be roped into ridiculous bets more times than not anyways)

But that only meant that Oikawa worked hard enough to necessitate that kind of conditioning, which only made him more dangerous.

He mulled the problem over in his head, studying the brunet's fluid movements. Despite Oikawa's carefree attitude Kuroko knew he had to be a top tier player just from the fact that he was at Aoba Johsai.

 _What you need is a way to defeat him._

He couldn't take advantage of his knee. It wouldn't have gotten bad enough that they could do anything to exacerbate it- at least not in the short term. Not to mention that line of thought was too reminiscent of Akashi's 'do anything to win' rhetoric to sit well with him.

That left outsmarting him- and of course, the best way to outsmart your enemy is to _know them better than they know themselves._ He shivered. _Study them, Tetsuya. How do they move, how do they react, what are their tells that they don't even know they have? Use them. Become what you were meant to be._

He. Really wished that he had been paying more attention to the game. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he completely missed the fact that Hinata _still_ hadn't tied his shoelaces. Completely missed when his friend tripped on said shoelaces as he went to receive.

What he _didn't_ miss was the slide, the girlish shriek as Hinata completely missed the ball and rammed _straight into Ennoshita's nose._

"Time!" The ref called, blowing the whistle, clambering down from his place next to the net and grabbing a first aid kit. Kuroko was the first one off the bench, pushing through the people crowding around the duo to see what the damage was.

"Hinata?" Kuroko said anxiously, trying to pull him off of where he was splayed against Ennoshita.

"Grrrbbbjjdjkj," Hinata protested, rolling out of his hands and around on the floor. Ennoshita echoed the oranget's groans, though his were muffled by his hands and blood and-

Kuroko tore his eyes away from the wing spiker, refocusing on Hinata as the ref pushed through, going immediately to Ennoshita's possibly broken nose.

"C'mon Hinata," He said, dragging the oranget to his feet and refusing to let him crumple again. "You have a harder head than that, you're fine."

At least he hoped. The guy had taken a _basketball_ to the face- one of Kuroko's ignite passes no less. He could handle bonking heads.

"Graaaahh, ack, no don't touch it, _Ow!_ Jeez, Tsu-kun!"

"Sorry," Kuroko said, not sorry at all as he pushed orange hair (way too long) out of the way so that he could see. The skin was raising around where Hinata'd gotten hit, but it wasn't turning colors or bruising yet, so he'd probably be fine.

"You all right, Hinata?" Sugawara asked, appearing at Kuroko's shoulder with an ice pack and a tremble in his voice.

"Urrg, fine," Hinata grumbled, taking the ice pack and nursing his head. "I've been hit harder- a nose is a first for me, though."

"Add it to the list," Kuroko muttered, relieved.

"You don't seem to be suffering from a concussion," Sugawara noted, eyes searching Hinata thoroughly. "You got lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Kuroko said, shooting an amused glance at a now pouting Hinata. "He has the hardest head I've ever seen."

"Well, we'll thank his thick skull for keeping our decoy's brain safe, then," Sugawara chortled.

"What's left of it, you mean," Tsukishima deadpanned.

Hinata spluttered.

"Oi! Rude! I've just been headbutted-"

" _Doing_ the headbutting, more like-"

Kuroko sighed.

"I've got an ice pack! Give me more sympathy!"

 _What are they, five?_

"If anyone deserves sympathy its Ennoshita-san, he's the one sitting out with a broken nose."

Kuroko blinked. "Sitting out?" He interrupted, hopes rising despite himself. He glanced at the ref, who was putting up the first aid kit, looking like he was giving instructions to the now benched Ennoshita. He looked at Daichi. "Who are you subbing him with? We're still playing, right?"

Daichi gave him a look, and he swallowed, spine straightening. The team quieted, watching.

 _I want this,_ he tried to project. _I'm fine. I want to play. I_ need _to play._

Daichi sighed, rubbing the crease in his nose. "Fine. Just until Ennoshita's nose stops bleeding. I wasn't kidding about you being our trump card, alright? And for goodness sakes, _be careful._ We don't need any more injuries on top of you being sick."

"Yes sir," Kuroko said, not bothering to feel embarrassed over his use of the term, instead turning a bright smile to Hinata. _I get to play~_ The oranget, to his surprised, was nursing a contemplative frown.

"Are you sure you're okay to be playing?" He murmured, watching the rest of the team scatter to either talk to Ennoshita or retake their places on the court. Daichi was exchanging words with the ref- probably to facilitate Kuroko playing.

 _Playing._

"I'll be fine," Kuroko dismissed. He would be. It wouldn't be very long, most likely- they only had about half of the second set left, anyways. He'd make it. When Hinata still said nothing, Kuroko shot him a look - _not a glare, but firm, he wouldn't be swayed on this-_ "I'm not going back on the bench. Not again."

Hinata flinched, looking hurt. "You don't trust me? Don't trust us to win for you?"

Kuroko blinked, hard. That wasn't- how did Hinata even _come_ to that conclusion? "Of course I do- that's not-" he took a breath, trying to organize his scattered thoughts. "I'm tired of sitting out, Shoyo," He said quietly. "I'm tired of not being needed."

Hinata's fingers twitched, and straightened to his full height, looking at Kuroko straight on.

"Tsu-kun, you were on the bench because you are _sick,_ not because you weren't needed or aren't good enough or whatever other lies your brain is telling you. We were trying to look out for you, and if that isn't part of your vocabulary you better add it darn quick because we're not going to stop."

For a moment, silence reigned, and Kuroko could do nothing but gawk and try to absorb the _heatpassiondetermination_ emanating from Hinata, like a moon drawing light from the sun.

Then the whistle was blowing to mark the restart of the game, and it was game time.

They shared a look of mutual understanding, and with a bump of fists returned the fire, burning just as brightly as it had in that three on three. _No,_ he realized, as the team huddled together with a cheer. _Better._

Because it wasn't just him and Hinata and Kageyama anymore, he realized, whacking hands with everyone as he took his place on the court, nodding to the setter. They were a _team._

The ball came sailing across the net, and he felt a surge of energy as it whacked into his waiting arms.

It felt like coming home.

* * *

"We got pork buns!" Daichi called, holding up the bag.

"Uwahhh!" Hinata squealed, practically sparkling. Kuroko grinned at the expression, bowing in thanks and dragging Hinata down with him. (and if it made it harder for the oranget to stuff his face with pork buns in the process, well, all the better, right?)

"Arigatou," He said, accepting the bun that was offered, absentmindedly smacking Hinata's hand as it tried to weasel another one out of the bag.

The team worked their way down the street, loosely grouped.

"That serve of Oikawa's was really something else. How are we gonna beat them if we can't even pick it up?"

Daichi grinned. "That won't be a problem much longer."

"Hm?" Kuroko questioned. Oikawa's serve had been the hardest out of all of Seijou- he'd only gotten a shot at it once, but it had left his arms red and burning.

Daichi turned a grin at him. "After all, _he's_ coming back to the club soon."

Tanaka instantly grinned.

"Who?" Hinata asked, sticking a head around Tanaka's frame, pork bun still sticking out of his mouth. Daichi smirked, two crows cawing and flying away in the dusk light.

"The guardian deity of Karasuno."

* * *

Oikawa walked in, aiming a smile and a wave at his fangirls as he walked into the gym. They squealed in delight, sending a trickle of pride through him. He didn't see them squealing for _Iwa-chan_ when _he_ walked through the halls.

His thought process halted when he turned to their opponents.

They were facing Karasuno. That would've been enough to give him pause- it was where Tobio had gone, after all.

But that wasn't why he stopped- wasn't why he stared now.

They were all tense, forming tight groups ( _around_ certain people, it looked like. How was he supposed to take that? Where they hiding their girlfriends in the middle so he didn't steal them?)

"You're late!" Iwa-chan barked, throwing a volleyball at his head.

"Mou, so rude, Iwa-chan," He pouted, sending one last look towards the center of the groups. "Why are they all _glaring_ at me?" He wondered. It was unnerving. Had he done something to tick them off lately?

"I don't know, but I don't really blame them," Iwa-chan deadpanned, walking away.

"Wha- so mean! Iwa-chan!"

* * *

 **Whew! So you guys weren't expecting that ;) Honestly, _we_ weren't expecting that until I went to write this chapter (from scratch, because we threw whatever plan we had for the match out the window last chapter) and realized that Kuroko was gonna play no matter what. So, here he is! **

**_Honestly, it was kinda fun brainstorming together and realizing that… like- oh okay Kuroko you do you. I'm also glad to tell you that in the new year we have found both an increase in muse and motivation, and will (hopefully) be pulling this through faster than previously thought._**

 **Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed- CherepMikhailov, PersonofManyThings, RainyDayReader116, Yose Hyuann, TheSilverHunt3r, Natsuki D, Five Lanterns (You guys should totally check out their fics, we're besties now :3) Mrs. JeonJungkook88, AriehXIV, Azemex (We love you, you totally rock and you got quoted to the fam, you're awesome :) and Teal96ko!**

 **Also lots of thanks to everyone who favorited and followed this story! Pretty sure we're close to 200 of y'all, so THANKS A TON!**

 **Oh, and last thing, we were wondering if you guys would be interested in a Forum- we know we have a lot of people here who speak different languages and that it could be fun to have a place where you guys can talk in your native language about this story or even write your own snippets. Or we could write snippets, or just brainstorm, or put up funny things that Raph and I say while we brainstorm, or - idk whatever. I love the idea, so just wondering if there's any interest out there for that sort of thing.**

 **(also because we're planning on having a lot more crossovers here soon and thought people would like a space to put up their own takes on stuff :)**


	12. Phantom Pains part 1

**So this is a little later than we planned, but we finally get the next chapter! (Seriously guys, so sorry. I could say that I had major plan changes this last month and was super stressed out, but that doesn't really excuse the month long wait. Hope the extra long chapter makes up for it!)**

 _ **What she won't make excuses for but I totally will is that we spent HOURS making up a timeline for the next ….oh 10 chapters or so. The continuity is going to be fantastic, and so is the plot. So you're welcome. Even though I also apologize for the wait, as I've been struggling to keep my muse alive on a diet of Economics and canned soup.**_

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Haikyuu or KnB or any other awesome anime franchise :)**

* * *

"You're coming over. Mom said so," Hinata hissed from the corner of his mouth.

Kuroko, still humming with _yes we won_ and muted relief that he hadn't been _useless_ , quirked a half-grin. In a bubbling of mischievousness he hadn't felt since middle school, he hissed a reply back. "It's late, I still have homework, and I don't have a bike."

Hinata bounced slightly, eyes twinkling in a way that almost belied the smirk on his lips. "Mom has food ready for us, your teachers don't ask for it anyways, and we can double," he sassed back.

Kuroko _did_ scoff then. - _breathy, an almost a hysterical laugh, because when was the last time he had had this much fun bantering with someone?-_ "The day I double with you on a bike is the day I stop caring about living." He returned quietly, before stilling.

The words had exited almost without thought, but even that wasn't as surprising as the fact that he had managed to say them at all. Managed to joke about something that had only ever accompanied his lowest lows. But in all honesty, dinner he didn't have to prepare himself made the notion of imminent death almost worth it.

If Hinata noticed his stillness, he didn't comment on it, instead turning those wide, clear eyes on him in a clear puppy-dog expression. "Are you going to make me tell Natsu that her Ghost-nii doesn't care about her anymore?"

"That's just cruel," He said instantly, ignoring the panic that rose at the thought. _-I didn't mean it that way, I was just joking, can't you see that this isn't funny anymore?-_

"Can you two please leave your argument for _after_ we go over our practice match?" Daichi snapped, looking vaguely irritated. Kuroko took in a shaky breath even as Hinata turned to give Captain a pout. He didn't know whether or not Captain had interrupted purposefully, but he was grateful all the same.

Takeda-sensei's voice started up again, the low rumble echoing through his ears, and he felt his body sag just a bit. Like a switch had been flipped, he suddenly felt exhausted. - _Understandable. Your last dose of medicine is wearing off and you played despite it. There are some things even adrenaline can't cure.-_

"You okay?" A low murmur in his ear made his eyes jerk open - _when had he closed them?-_ vision going slightly cross eyed at the sudden change. He blinked firmly a couple times. Hinata's orange hair came in and out of focus, and through his fuzzy vision Kuroko thought he almost looked _concerned._

"Fine," He whispered back, straightening up and propping his elbows on his knees just to make sure he wouldn't fall asleep and draw attention to himself.

"Liar."

The word was barely audible, but when Kuroko looked back over in surprise, Hinata was staring dedicatedly at the front, showing no sign he had said anything.

Daichi's clear voice brought his attention back. "As Takeda-sensei said, we did okay for our first match, but there were obviously things that we could improve," He commented, glancing around. "Our receives, for example."

Tsukishima twitched, and Kuroko rubbed his arms, mindlessly prodding at the sore spots that were sure to form spectacular bruises given a couple hours. Oikawa didn't just have an arm on him- he had the precision to match. The way he had aimed specifically at those he had suspected of being weak receivers . . .

Kuroko, for his part, was grateful that he was invisible. There would've been no way for him to pick up those serves, inexperienced as he was, if the Kise lookalike hadn't thought that Kuroko's position was a gap he could exploit.

 _Still_ , he thought, sharing a look with Tsukishima. _We'll need to get better if we hope to win against them next time._

"Well, that's something that can only get better with practice," Daichi said, shrugging. "We can work on it and improve, but receives aren't something you perfect overnight, and we're going to have to face them again if we want to get to Nationals," His gaze hardened. "And next time, they'll probably have Oikawa as setter the whole time."

Kuroko blinked, eyes flicking to the side in time to catch the careful _-focused-_ blankness on Kageyama's face. What was the history there? He knew that Kageyama had suffered at the hands of his teammates, but Oikawa wasn't even in his year. He wouldn't have been around . . .

 _Except as a senpai._

What had he called Kageyama? In that tone of disgust and jealousy that set his nerves on edge? His little genius kohai?

Kuroko's nails dug into his knees, forcefully driving off the beckonings of sleep. Hinata bumped against his shoulder, and one glance at the oranget told him Hinata had caught it too.

"So, ideas for improvement, anyone?" Daichi said, clapping his hands together, and hands started coming up.

 _Well_ , Kuroko thought, he could say with certainty that there were at least _two_ resident experts on difficult genius-senpai relationships on the Karasuno team. He breathed in deeply, straightening as people began giving different suggestions.

It didn't matter. Kageyama was _theirs_ now, so not-Kise could keep his hands to himself.

There would be no more player-snatching from this team. Not if they could help it.

* * *

"Chinese dumplings? The soccer team bought the last of them. Besides, we're closing for today."

Kuroko merely sighed, disappointed, but Hinata was more vocal in his displeasure.

"What a lazy clerk!"

The blond's eye twitched. "Shut up! Go home and eat a _proper_ meal!"

He sighed, trying to ignore Hinata's pointed look.

 _-Dang it. I'm too tired to cook for myself, riding home with Hinata is courting death . . .-_ He sighed again. Maybe he could do without? He wasn't especially hungry anyways- he hardly ate anything on a normal day, let alone when he had to fight against puking it up.

 _-Even if I_ wanted _to cook for myself I still haven't gone shopping.-_ If he'd learned anything last night, it was that he needed to go shopping more regularly. With the amount of fuss that the team had kicked up about the obvious _lack_ of food in his cupboards, he might find himself with chaperones just to make sure he ate more than fast food.

Which could be considered sweet, if it weren't for the fact that it was completely unnecessary. He ate enough home cooked meals with the amount of times he got dragged over to Hinata's without having to take the time out of practice to make them for himself.

A bike bell ringing behind him jerked him back to reality, and horrified he realized he had completely missed the conversation. Somehow he had ended up walking in Hinata's shadow as the team headed down the street in loose clumps, some of them munching on- were those _granola bars_?

 _Where did they get those?_

He shot a baffled look at Kageyama, who just raised his eyebrows and held out a second bar. Kuroko took it, eyes furrowing slightly in bewilderment. Kageyama merely nodded approvingly, shoving the last bit of his own into his mouth.

"So how did you guys like your debut match?" Daichi asked, turning from where he was walking side by side with Sugawara.

Kuroko shrugged, unwilling to talk after he had just taken a bite. Hinata had no such reservations about talking with his mouth full.

"It wash greaf!" He spewed, and Kuroko sighed again. Kageyama took the cue to act as the voice of reason, whacking the oranget upside the head.

"Chew with your mouth _closed_ , boke."

Hinata choked, coughing and spluttering as he tried to get air through his granola-blocked windpipe.

He took the ensuing fight as his cue to answer. "I enjoyed it," Kuroko said, fiddling with the wrapper to unfold another segment. _Enjoyment didn't quite cover it._ A smile twitched on his lips. "I want to play again."

When he looked back up, both Daichi and Sugawara were grinning goofily at him. Even Hinata and Kageyama stopped flinging punches to stare. Self conscious, his shoulders raised again and he took a bite, eyes searching around for something else to steer the conversation towards.

As usual, Hinata came to his rescue.

"Me too! It was great to be able to play together again. We never got to in basket- which is stupid, cuz we kick _trash_ together!" Hinata boasted, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Tsukishima interrupted then, not even bothering to look at them as he and Yamaguchi ambled past.

"Ho? I thought you two were part of the glorious Generation of Miracles," He said, and Kuroko's shoulders tensed, wrapper crinkling dangerously in his hands.

Hinata's bouncing stopped. "We were," He said slowly, tone clearly indicating he had _no_ idea why this was coming up. "But we never got to play on the same team."

Confusion reigned on the team's faces. "We played against each other often," Kuroko explained, focusing on loosening his grip and trying to salvage what remained of his crushed dinner. "The Miracles, I mean. But Hinata and I were never on the same team. Never in real matches, either."

Kageyama's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, but, as if sensing that the topic was closed, turned to Daichi. "Teiko might've had enough players to switch out specialists like that . . . but what about us? What are we going to do about the open positions?"

"Open positions?" Hinata asked, before growling and kicking the pedal of his bike that kept whacking his shins. It spun around and just hit him higher. Hinata cursed.

Sweatdropping at his antics, Daichi ignored the cursing to answer the question. "Karasuno is fundamentally short of players. Normally, a volleyball team will have both a Libero-defense specialists- and an Ace. We have neither, currently."

 _Defense specialist._ Kuroko's back straightened, and he ignored the aches and pains that accompanied the motion. - _I didn't realize volleyball had a position like that.-_

"I could be the Ace!" Hinata volunteered, waving his hand in the air. Kageyama was already shaking his head.

"You can't be the Ace," He said bluntly, and Kuroko's thoughts were momentarily derailed as Hinata's fists clenched. He glanced between Hinata and Kageyama fearfully. What would he do if they came to blows? Thankfully, Kageyama remained calm as he explained.

"You're the team's Ultimate Decoy. You draw all the blockers to you and open the way for the spiker. You can't do that and be the Ace at the same time."

Hinata's face ran through a variety of emotions- like he couldn't decide whether to be pleased at the compliment or mad that his hopes had been dashed. Eventually he just punched Kageyama's arm and let the point drop.

Cautious about asking the question right after Hinata's had been smacked down, he shifted from foot to foot, going to pop the last bite in his mouth before pausing. "What- what do Liberos do?"

Daichi hummed, turning to press the button at the light for the team. Tanaka hammered a couple more times just for good measure. Daichi huffed in exasperation, turning to Kuroko. "Liberos are the specialists in defense- they're the main receivers on the team, and are actually forbidden from attacking. I guess they'd be like rebounders in basketball?"

 _More like Passing Specialists._ He hummed thoughtfully, shoving the rest of the bar into his mouth. If they were forbidden from attacking, then it meant that Libero was a position you couldn't spike or set from. Not flashy in the way that Hinata always yearned to be, for sure. But unlike Shoyo, Kuroko was used to staying out of the limelight, single handedly laying the foundation for the connectivity of the team. This wasn't too different from that, was it? After all, the set and spike was determined by whether or not the receivers did their job.

The light turned green and they ambled across the street, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour.

"But if they're not allowed to attack then what do they do when they're on the front line?" Kuroko mumbled, trying to reason the logic out.

"Oh, they don't go on the front line," Sugawara explained, snagging the wrapper out of his hands and tossing it into a nearby trash can so he would stop ripping it to shreds. "They get switched out, see? One player on the rotation is designated to switch with the Libero when it comes their time to go on the front line. That way you keep the right number of players without breaking the rules."

"Speaking of," Kageyama mused, propping a hand on his chin, "You said something about a Guardian Deity, right?"

"Right," Sugawara said, smiling slightly. "We're not particularly strong, but we're not weak either. We've had great players in the past- we were just never able to apply their strengths effectively."

A somber mood fell over the group, and Hinata and Kuroko shared a glance.

Ironically, that could've been the Miracles, had Akashi not found them all and applied their strengths to basketball. They might've gone on, being decent players, and never anything more.

He tried not to feel bitter about that.

"But," Suga continued, "if all of us come together, utilize the strengths we have, including our new first years-"

"We could definitely win the Inter-High." Daichi finished.

Kuroko's breathing hitched. Inter-High. The prerequisite to Nationals. His stomach tightened, and all of a sudden even the tiny amount of food he'd eaten seemed ready to burst, and he didn't think it was because he was sick.

 _Nationals._ That was when it had all went wrong, wasn't it? It was when Aomine had bloomed, when he had abandoned Kuroko, when Murasakibara had challenged Akashi . . . the list went on and on and _on._

 _It won't be the same this time. Karasuno is different._ He thought harshly, trying to pay attention to the words coming from Kageyama's mouth.

 _Are they though?_ That little voice whispered back. _They still have trouble seeing you when Hinata isn't with you, and Captain-san didn't want you playing today in the first place._

 _That's because I was_ sick, _not because he didn't want me to play. Plus,_ everyone _has trouble seeing me._ He tried to convince himself, but . . .

 _See? Exactly the same. Still unnoticed. Still overlooked except when they need you._

 _I like being needed,_ He thought, offended by his own inner voice.

"So he's a delinquent?"

Wait _what?_

"Who's a delinquent?" He asked, sending a baffled look to Hinata.

"No way! He just gets too fired up, is all," Tanaka protested.

He blinked, feeling even more confused. "Are we talking about Hinata?" He shot the oranget a look. "Have you been tagging in your spare time again?"

Hinata spluttered, nearly tripping over his bike. "Tagging is _your_ pastime! And no! We were talking about the Guardian Deity guy!"

"Nishinoya!" Tanaka corrected, vein bulging on his forehead.

He blinked. "Must be some guy if _Tanaka-senpai_ thinks he gets too fired up," He mumbled. Hinata snickered.

Daichi chortled, and Tanaka pouted. Kuroko felt a flush crawl up his neck. He'd thought he'd spoken soft enough that they wouldn't hear.

"Call him Senpai when he gets back," Daichi advised them, grinning over his shoulder as he branched off down the road. "You'll make him just as much a gleeful idiot as Tanaka."

"Oi!"

* * *

His breathing was sharp and labored, and Kuroko rested his hands on his knees to gasp in air.

 _Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to ask Kageyama to help with my receives while still recovering,_ he thought, using his sleeve to wipe off a couple drops of sweat.

 _Fwip,_ went the ball in Kageyama's hands in the sound that was quickly becoming familiar. "You ready for the next one?"

 _Not at all_ , he thought sarcastically. But he was the one who'd approached Kageyama right after class ended, determined to put in the same amount of effort into learning how to receive properly as he had passing, so he'd have to deal.

So he nodded, coming back into the position Daichi had shown him and watched as Kageyama tossed the ball up into that arc, arm swinging-

 _There!_

He dove, arm reaching- but he hadn't stretched last night, collapsing right into bed after fending off Hinata's attempts to manhandle him onto the bike- and his arm came up just short.

 _Thump._

"... Are you okay?" Kageyama asked, sounding a cross between amused and concerned.

"Just fine," he mumbled, voice muffled from where he lay splayed out on the floor, ball rolling innocently away from where the bluenet had tried to rescue it.

 _Maybe I'll just stay here,_ he thought hazily, noting how gloriously cool the floor felt against his sticky skin. He ached all over - _I haven't hurt this bad since my first day on Akashi's training regimen.-_

A yell interrupted his musings. "Kageyamaaaaaa! Have you seen Kurok-" Hinata's voice had been getting ever louder as he neared the gym doors, but cut out suddenly.

"Kuroko! Teme, what did you do? You killed him!" Hinata roared, feet hammering towards him. Kuroko groaned. He knew he'd forgotten something.

"Hinata, m' _fine,_ " He mumbled, trying to push himself to his feet. He swayed dangerously, floor spinning beneath him.

Thankfully Hinata came to the rescue, grabbing his arms and holding him up so he didn't faceplant again, yelling all the while.

"- supposed to wait for me, baka! We always head to the gym together! Look what happens when you don't! Kageyama kills you with his serve!"

"I didn't _kill_ him," Kageyama said exasperatedly, voice closer now. As his vision cleared of spots he could see the setter had moved to his side of the court and was looking him over, concern belying his blasé tone. "He _asked_ me to help with his receives, stupid."

Hinata just scoffed, pulling one of Kuroko's arms over his shoulder to keep him upright. "Either way, there's a kabosh on receiving practice until he can actually _see straight._ "

"I can see straight," Kuroko protested, stumbling slightly over his own feet.

" _Sure_ you can," Hinata drawled.

Hinata settled them down next to the wall, where they could rest without risk of being hit. Kageyama shifted a couple feet away, looking awkward. "Do you mind if I keep practicing?"

"Not at all," Kuroko said instantly, ignoring Hinata's grumble of protest. "You need something to aim at?"

Hinata crowed his disapproval, and Kuroko actually rolled his eyes, though winced as it made his head twinge. "Not _me_ , Hinata. Like a water bottle or something. I used those all the time when I was practicing my passes. They help you learn how to aim."

"Oh," Hinata said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and giving him a sheepish smile. Kuroko just shook his head _-carefully, so he didn't make his headache worse-_ and twitched his lips, and Hinata perked back up, knowing he was forgiven.

"That might not be a bad idea," Kageyama responded, propping a hand on his chin before murmuring, "I'm pretty sure that's what _he_ used to do, actually. . ."

Hinata and Kuroko shared a loaded glance, seeming to have a whole conversation with the motion.

 _Oikawa again?_

 _That would make sense- he didn't respond very much when Takeda-sensei talked about him, but there was definitely something there._

 _Old grudge, maybe?_

Kuroko frowned. _Maybe._

Kageyama had wandered away, placing a water bottle on one end of the court and was spinning the volleyball thoughtfully in his hands.

 _Maybe . . ._ He thought, watching carefully. _Maybe they-_

Kageyama let the ball fly, and Kuroko _knew_ it was going to hit. Years of calculating trajectories on the fly- he almost missed the blur of white streaking across his vision, planting itself _right in front_ of the water bottle, and the ball went up.

He blinked incredulously, leaning forward to see past Hinata's head of hair. That. That was a perfect receive. Granted, Kuroko didn't know technique very well yet, so he couldn't be sure, but that had looked even smoother than _Daichi's_ receives.

He didn't realize he'd gotten up until he was standing in front of the kid _-not much shorter than_ he _was, and his height wasn't that impressive-._

"Who are you?" Kuroko asked, and the guy stumbled, nearly dropping his jacket in surprise.

"Woah, where'd you come from?" The guy demanded, blinking up at him.

"I've been here the whole time," He sighed, trying to resist pinching the bridge of his nose. _Is it going to be like this every time I meet someone new?_ "But really-" he said, feeling strangely insistent. That receive- it was like when he had first watched a national level basketball player. He'd instantly known what he wanted to do, and had sacrificed schoolwork and sleep until he was able to do it. "Who are you? Are you part of the volleyball club?"

 _And if not can how can we get you to join?_

The guy straightened, beaming as he jerked a thumb at himself. "Sure am! I'm Nishinoya Yuu- Karasuno's Libero!"

Realization struck. "You're the delinquent?" He asked, slightly incredulous. Granted, if he looked a bit closer, he did have the dyed and spiked hair- but his aura was completely different. He just didn't have the arrogant air that rang to Kuroko as _delinquent._

 _No. He's completely different from_ Him.

"Hah?" Nishinoya asked, eyebrows scrunching. He didn't get the chance to explain as Hinata bounced up to them, one hand coming to rest on his arm as the oranget peered curiously at the newcomer.

"Wow, you're even shorter than me! How tall are you?"

"159 centimeters," Nishinoya shrugged.

"Wow, the 150s!"

An eyebrow twitched. "Don't _cry_ at it!"

Kuroko had no problem interrupting their antics. "Nishinoya-san," Nishinoya paused from where he had been yelling at Hinata, head turned in curiosity. "You said you're the Libero." And didn't that hurt? Getting his hopes up only for the spot to already be taken.

 _It's not like you have a right to it. He's a second year, and has probably been playing twice as long as you have._

"Yeah? What about it?" He asked, and Hinata rocked back and forth on his heels, eyes flicking back and forth between them.

"What drew you to it?" He wondered.

"It's not because I was short, if that's what you're asking," Nishinoya said, back straightening. "I'd be a Libero even if I was two meters tall."

Hinata snickered, and the twinkling of mirth in his eyes almost made him want to smile himself.

 _The picture of Murasakibara being a Libero was just- ludicrous._

The Libero might have taken the laugh the wrong way, because he continued, flicking the ball with his foot and into his hands before prodding different spots on it. "Libero's are the team's defense specialists. We pick up balls that are blocked, attacks that other receivers would miss. I open the way for the spikers- they don't have to worry, because they know they have me at their back."

The fierce pride that Nishinoya was exuding made Kuroko inhale sharply. _-I've felt that kind of pride before, haven't I?-_

Nishinoya tossed the ball in the air and began bumping it in controlled hops, but Kuroko couldn't take his eyes off the Libero. _-That pride in being the glue to the team. The one who opens the way for other plays, even if you can't score yourself. He . . .-_

A call came from the door as more club members filed in, and Nishinoya stopped bumping to grin and welcome them.

 _-Reminds me of who I used to be.-_

* * *

"If Asahi isn't coming back, then I'm not either!" Nishinoya shouted, stomping out of the club doors.

"Nishinoya-!" Daichi called, but the Libero was already gone. The Captain sighed harshly, rubbing his brow.

"Why does he not want to play?" Kageyama asked, coming to rest on his right side. - _as was normal by now, Hinata was on his left.-_

"Nishinoya and Asahi . . . well, Asahi quit after our loss against Dateko, and Nishinoya . . . didn't take it all that well. I guess it's not surprising he would quit, knowing he couldn't do anything after that last match . . ." Sugawara explained, biting his lip as he stared out the doors.

 _Quit. He_ _ **quit.**_ Kuroko's fists clenched. Nishinoya, the person who had been able to dash into the gym, calculate the trajectory of the ball and perfectly receive it in an instant- against _Kageyama's_ serve, no less! And he was going to throw it away- all the talent and skill that Kuroko was trying to build- like it didn't mean anything.

 _ **Quitter.**_

A hand brushed against the back of his, and his shoulders twitched. He shook his head at Hinata's wordless question. _Are you alright?_

No. No he wasn't. He had quit basketball, the thing he had worked _so hard_ for, the thing he had poured _everything_ into.

He had just. Left. He had walked away.

 _Weak._

"Of course he left," Kuroko said, voice catching wetly in his throat. "How could he not? His best friend quit. Why would he want to play after that?"

 _-Dead eyes, lead feet, silence where there should be noise. A light that had once shone so brightly on the court- put out.-_

 _How could he play after that indeed?_ Kuroko thought bitterly. Two fingers intertwined with his, and he gripped them desperately.

 _-I did the right thing, right? By leaving? It was killing us._ _ **Both**_ _of us.-_

How could he be mad at Nishinoya for doing the exact thing he himself had done? He couldn't imagine playing volleyball without Hinata. If Hinata ever quit Kuroko would be right there handing in his resignation with him. He'd follow him to the ends of the earth if the oranget asked him.

A bump on his other shoulder. _Kageyama._ His eyes burned, but no tears fell. It had been a long time since he had last cried.

"Yeah well I'm not giving up," Hinata said, grip tightening until it bordered on painful. Kuroko blinked. Hinata was standing ramrod straight, eyes blazing. "You don't throw away something you love just because you lost a game. You get up and keep going. Come on, Tsu-kun, we're gonna talk some sense into him."

Kuroko didn't protest as he was dragged along in Hinata's shadow.

 _After all,_ He thought. _There are worse shadows to walk in_.

* * *

Kageyama wavered for a moment between going with them and staying behind. But Kuroko's fingers were still clenched in his jacket sleeve where they'd entwined themselves, so there wasn't much of a choice.

Well, besides shoving the hand off, but that wasn't even an option. Maybe a year ago it might've been- heck, a month ago he would've been shocked simply at the notion of someone wanting him close.

He never would've imagined that coming to Karasuno would become _this._ Walking side by side with two people he could call _Friends_ , like he was meant to be there.

Because the two Miracles were inseparable most of the time- even now they glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes, scrutinizing each other for the slightest sign that something was wrong. He'd felt awkward, constantly thinking he was intruding- but Kuroko came seeking _him_ out for receiving help, and Hinata always came bouncing up to _him_ with a bone to pick.

And over time it had just become natural to fall into step with them in the hallway, walking home from school with them at his side, routinely asking for an extra granola bar when it was obvious the clerk hadn't seen Kuroko.

So maybe this is just what having friends was like? Joking around, covering each other in class, sharing notes and tips?

His eyebrows scrunched, subconsciously shortening his stride as Hinata slowed to look for where the Libero had gone.

Their reaction to Nishinoya's proclamation had been . . . worrying. Hinata had flinched as if the words had physically injured him. The simmering of anger and confusion had been palpable, and Kageyama had placed himself on Kuroko's other side just to make sure it didn't lash out at him on accident.

But then Kuroko had spoken in that raw, broken, _wet_ voice that made his throat close up just listening to it. His shoulders all hunched in on themselves like he was going to come apart with just the slightest touch, and for a moment, Kageyama hadn't known what to do.

Hinata had no such uncertainty. He grabbed Kuroko's fingers with his own in a white knuckle grip, desperately searching the bluenet's face for . . . something. Something Kageyama couldn't see.

Still, he had to do _something_ \- but they weren't close enough to hold hands like Hinata was . . . Eventually he had just brushed his shoulder against his, hoping Kuroko would understand the gesture. The tangle of fingers in his sleeve was unexpected but not unwelcome.

 _-Judging by the distant look he had in his eyes, I'm not sure Kuroko even realized he did it.-_

Now, Kuroko was looking slightly more grounded, less likely to fall apart at a touch. Which was good, Kageyama mused, because it was strange seeing anything resembling emotion from him. Especially the dark shadows that had seemed to envelop Kuroko, dragging him down. He had felt like he was drowning just at a glimpse of it.

It was wrong. No one should look like that. Which begged the question.

 _What happened to put it there?_ He thought harshly, looking to the side as Hinata turned, Kuroko following seamlessly even as Kageyama was left being tugged along by his sleeve. _What happened that made these two like this?_

And how was he supposed to fix it?

* * *

 _If I was a loser running away from a sport I loved, where would I go?_ Hinata thought sourly. It had hurt enough just hearing Nishinoya bad talk the thing that had become a refuge for him and Tsu-kun, but then the Teme had nearly made Tsu-kun _cry._

 _It wasn't_ him _that made him cry- you know that._ A quiet part reprimanded.

 _I know that,_ he thought back, stride stuttering somewhat. _It's just . . ._

 _You're hurting. That's fine. But you don't get to blame other people for what happened to you._

"Hinata?" Kuroko asked softly, and the internal conversation was instantly deserted, his shoulders turning towards his best friend. Kuroko still had that wary edge to his gaze that made him want to hit something, but he had stopped shaking, so that was progress.

"Are we lost?" Kageyama finished bluntly. Hinata spluttered.

"Of course not!" He squawked, quickly gazing around him trying to find his bearings- somehow he had gotten turned around while he had been fuming.

"So we're _not_ going in circles around the gym complex . . . ?" Kuroko said, voice still low and thick, but he almost didn't care that it was just a bit forced because _at least he can still tease._

"Psh, of course not," He scoffed as he waved the hand not linked with Kuroko's through the air, trying to hide a grin. "I know exactly where we're going."

"And how can you do that if you don't know where Nishinoya-san went?" Kageyama drawled, raising a judgmental eyebrow. He pouted.

"You're both terrible," He whined, turning to sulk. There was a tug on his fingers, and he looked back to see Kuroko's face twisted in worry.

"You don't actually think that, do you Shou-kun?" He asked hesitantly, glancing at Kageyama as if worried.

Never let it be said that Hinata was an idiot. He might act the part most of the time, - _a way of avoiding notice, mistakes being overlooked as just not understanding, of lowering tension in a room-_ but the genuine worry masked as a guilt trip was audible to his ears, and he grinned softly.

"Course not," He said gently, tapping his fingers on the inside of Tsu-kun's wrist. A short laugh wormed its way out his throat. "But I _would_ like fewer comments from the peanut factory."

Kageyama huffed, shaking his head, but it was the return of the twinkle in Kuroko's eyes and the slight slumping of shoulders in relief that really brought it home for him.

 _Heaven help whoever puts those shadows in his eyes again,_ he swore. _I don't care if it's Tsukishima or Captain or Kami himself._

Suddenly Kageyama's spine straightened. "So I know you said no comments from the peanut _gallery_ ," He said with a pointed look, which had Hinata instantly protesting, but Kageyama ignored him, jerking his chin to the side, "but I think I just found our target."

Hinata's head whipped around, and, sure enough, black hair and bleached spikes sat lounging under the big oak tree him and Kuroko had eaten at their first day here.

And, because Hinata lacked all tact - _hey, he had_ learned _it, he just didn't bother to_ use _it most of the time-_ he instantly shot forward, waving his hand, yelling.

"Hey you-!"

The Libero jerked, juice flying everywhere. Hinata stopped, grimacing at the stains covering Nishinoya's shirt. _Those'll be a pain for him to get out . . ._

"Nani?" The Libero grumbled, trying in vain to get his white shirt clean, before giving up and staring at each of them in turn. "Trying to get me to come back to the club? It won't work."

"Ah, no," Kageyama stuttered, looking at him and Kuroko, completely lost. "Well, yes, but that's not- we're not-"

"We were wondering if you could help us with our receives," Kuroko spoke up, evidently deciding Kageyama had suffered enough. Hinata didn't miss that the bluenet's shoulders tensed when Nishinoya jerked at his "sudden" appearance, and felt his dislike for the Libero rise a bit more.

"What are you, a ghost?" He muttered, straightening. "Anyways, why do you want to learn receives from me? Because I'm short?" he asked, propping an elbow on his knee and staring them down.

"That's not it." Hinata interjected firmly, stepping forward. "We do need help receiving, but that's not why we want you to come back."

Nishinoya blinked, raising an eyebrow as he looked Hinata up and down, like he was trying to figure him out.

 _Good luck._

Kuroko inhaled. Hinata looked back, fingers twitching when he saw Kuroko's scheming face on. It was dangerous to see when you were playing against him, but . . . _Does he have a plan?_

"I know you said you wouldn't come back unless . . . Asahi-san, was it? Came back, but . . I had a favor I wanted to ask," Kuroko said, shifting from foot to foot, gaze turning to the ground. "I- I joined volleyball fairly recently, so I know it's presumptuous to ask, but . . . I want to be able to play," He said firmly, head coming back up as Nishinoya's expression shifted into surprise.

"I want to stay out on the court for as long as possible. I want- I want to be able to keep the ball in play, even against blocks or spikes. I want to open the way for the spikers," He glanced at Hinata with this statement.

Nishinoya leaned back, both feet coming to rest on the ground. A shift of clothing saw Kuroko bowing deeply.

"I know you don't want to play anymore, but please, teach us, Nishinoya-senpai." He asked softly, and Hinata's eyes widened. At a glance from Kuroko, a lightbulb went off. He turned and bowed as well.

"Senpai!"

Nishinoya made a choking sound- not unlike Midorima when Aomine was being especially pervy. "You guys . . ."

Hinata braced for impact when shoes scuffed against the ground, heart skipping a beat when a hand landed firmly on his shoulder. He was just about to shove him off and get Kuroko safely behind him when- "I'll treat you guys to popsicles after practice." Nishinoya declared, and they both glanced up in shock.

The second year was posing, practically _glowing_ as he jerked a thumb into his chest. "Cuz I'm your senpai!"

All three freshman looked at each other, shock etched into their faces. _I can't believe that actually worked._

They started their walk back to the gym, Nishinoya slinging an arm over Kuroko's shoulders and crowing about how he was going to teach him the _move to end all moves_ , going a much more direct route than the circuitous one Hinata had taken them on. Hinata lagged behind, falling into step with Kageyama.

 _I'll treat you guys to popsicles_!

Popsicles. It . . . felt like passing the buck. From Miracles to Crows. The Past to the Future. Tradition kept going.

"Hinata?" Kuroko called, voice carrying despite the noise emanating from the gym. Hinata's head jerked from where he'd unconsciously rested it on his hand in a thinking position. Kuroko had escaped the hold Nishinoya had had him in and was waiting in the entryway, Nishinoya cocking his head back, smirking at them.

Hinata grinned despite himself, nudging Kageyama before jogging towards them.

 _Haven't had popsicles in a while. Wonder if there are any new flavors?_

* * *

Kise trotted over to the side of the gym, tossing the ball over his shoulder, satisfied when he heard it swish into the ball bin.

He wiped the sweat from his cheek on his shirt, taking a deep breath. Kaijou's training wasn't as brutal as Akashi-chii's was, but that didn't mean it wasn't rigorous.

He rifled through his bag, wrapping a towel around his neck with one hand as he flipped his phone open with the other, surprised when it started to ring.

A glance over his shoulder told him Kasamatsu-senpai was busy coaching a first year through a drill, so he'd at least have a minute.

"Moshi moshi?" He answered, tucking the phone under his ear, biting his lip as he dug through the bag again. _Dang it, I thought I brought my wristbands with me. Did I leave them in the wash?_

A familiar voice nearly made him drop the phone in surprise. Momoi-chii didn't normally call during practice- she knew Kaijou's schedule had changed in preparation for the Inter-High, right?

All that flew from his mind when he heard the uncharacteristic somber tone of her voice.

"Kise. We need to talk."

* * *

Omake

"So, when you go to receive you go _whoom,_ and _shwoop_ and _pow_." Nishinoya explained, mimicking a receiving motion that was nearly dancelike.

There was silence.

"I don't get it," Yamaguchi lamented, shaking his head.

Kageyama blinked. "What's there not to get? I understood it."

Sugawara shook his head, looking like he was trying to hold back laughter. "That's because you and him belong to the same species of genius. Hinata, on the other hand-"

Whatever Suga was saying was cut off by Hinata nodding emphatically. "I totally get it! It's different from the _pew_ receives I've been doing! So if I do it more _pow_ it'll work?"

Nishinoya nodded proudly. "Yeah! Exactly."

Seeming desperate now, Suga turned to Kuroko. "Kuroko-san, please say you don't. . ."

Kuroko was already on the other side of the court. "Hey, Hinata, give me a spike. I need to try it."

"Wait," Daichi said, trying to get them to just _hold on a moment,_ but Kageyama was already setting it, Hinata's hand whacking down on it.

The team groaned. Of course the idiots had done a _quick_ instead of just a normal spike, and they all waited for the head-shot or whatever other chaos this could cause. Narita even started looking for the first aid kit, no doubt remembering the nose bleed from their match against Seijou.

He didn't quite get under it, misjudging just how quickly the ball would come at him, and narrowly escaped a spike to the face.

"I told you-" Daichi groaned, trotting to the side of the court, but Kuroko was already shaking out his wrists and nodding for another one. Daichi noticed too late, not having enough time to push the bluenet out of the way or even get into position himself.

But with a look of concentration none of them had seen from him before, Kuroko appeared _straight under the ball's path_ , lowering his gravity and cushioning the ball before sending it spinning into with a _poom_.

"Yeah, perfect!" Nishinoya rejoiced, bounding over to fluff Kuroko's hair in congratulations. "I mean, not perfect, you've got a ways to go, but that was awesome for a second try! You're a natural!"

Doom radiated from the rest of the team. "We have some scary first years. . ." Tanaka said, voice shaking with the effort of holding back an almost hysterical chuckle.

"Agreed."

"Seriously, the King of the Court and two Generation of Miracles?" Tsukishima huffed, walking away to go back to his own practice. "They're making us normal people look bad. Come on, Yamaguchi. Help me with my blocking."

"A-ah, Tsukki wait for me!"

* * *

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **Thank you all for your continued support! This was a much anticipated chapter, and we wanted to do it justice, hence the added time. As promised, shoutouts to Yose Hyuann, Guest, Snowlikestardust, We'reAllABitOdd, and Dragon Emporor 12 for guessing correctly that Kuroko would be a Libero! There are a couple more of you that speculated but didn't say definitively, so I just went off of whoever had Libero in their review- either way, I'm so impressed with all of you! You guys are just amazing. Thank you ALL for your thoughtful reviews!**

 _ **As always we enjoy reading your speculation, so please continue to share your thoughts and ideas for the future as there are several other things y'all have guessed at that may or may not be true. You will all get a shout out if correct, so no spoilers as of right now ;)**_

 **For the forum (since we got a lot of positive responses) we've created one here on Fanfic dot net, so you can click on our profile and find the link or search it up under the name "It's Our Play Now" :) Hope to see you all there!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **Mikey and Raph**

 **~Writing in Tandem**


	13. Phantom Pains Part 2

**Hey all!**

 **So in typical fashion, I have a totally legitimate excuse for why this chapter is so late. *sweats.* My life took a very sharp left turn and I was left floundering for a couple weeks- turning back to this fic was what really got my feet under me again, not to mention Raph's constant prodding that we** _ **really**_ **need to get this out. She's the main reason for this post, so be sure to say thanks in the comments below ;).**

 _ **The real one you should thank is Mikey, but whatev. My life's been about as stressful as hers (I do NOT recommend anyone take stats, finance and econ all in the same semester if you want to get good grades) so it's been a bit difficult to find time where both of us can get the other to concentrate. But it's here now, and hopefully there will be more coming faster here soon...**_

 **Disclaimer: Would we really be posting this story on Fanfiction if we owned anything?**

* * *

"You all did really great today," Daichi said, clapping his hands together.

Kuroko looked fondly at where Nishinoya was giving some final tips to Hinata. "Make sure to get some rest tonight," Daichi reprimanded, pointedly staring at Kuroko's new senpai, who stuck out his tongue. Daichi sighed and turned to the other troublemaker of the team. "Tanaka, don't be late for morning practice."

"Aw, I would never-" Tanaka's protests overtaken by chortling second years.

"Don't even lie, you're _always_ late-"

Nishinoya-senpai bounded up to them, grinning maniacally. "If I beat you here, you run five extra laps!"

"You're on, Noya!"

Kuroko laughed under his breath, wiping up the final bit of sweat and going to put away his mop. It had been an emotional roller coaster of a day, from finding out about Nishinoya-senpai's past to bringing him back to the club, not to mention the ensuing practice . . . he was ready to collapse where he stood.

He propped the mop in the corner carefully, glancing at the doors before deciding that he could spare a second. Drooping against the side of the bookcase housing their cleaning supplies, Kuroko laid his head to rest, closing his eyes.

Nishinoya and Tanaka-senpai's voices continued to reverberate through the gym, Daichi interrupting with a yell when they got too rowdy. Hinata was chattering excitedly with Kageyama, if he was hearing the murmurs of acknowledgement right.

His hand fiddled with the mop, thinking. The team had become more energetic with Nishinoya-senpai's presence- more like the Miracles had been, back when they had been friends.

He hissed, pulling his hand away from where he'd been just been stabbed by the mop that now clattered to the floor. Nursing the finger that still stung, he shifted from the wall to inspect the mop that was most definitely not the one he'd just been using to clean the floor. A jagged edge proved just what had stabbed his finger.

 _Why would they keep something so obviously dangerous?_ He wondered, running his finger carefully over the spikes and pulling back when he felt a piece of wood catch on his skin. It just didn't make sense.

He'd seen plenty of broken cleaning tools in his time- the Miracles were well known for breaking almost everything they touched. After all, they had never been ones to curb their tempers, and more fights broke out when they were debating who had to clean the gym than practically any other time. The mops just ended up being collateral damage.

But that didn't explain why there was a broken mop here, or why it was shoved in a corner instead of in the trashcan, where it belonged. He reached out once more, picking it up and inspecting the edge, looking around to see if the other half was nearby.

"Hey Kuroko, are you in here- hey, don't _stab_ yourself on it!" Sugawara's voice interjected, worry staining it- though there was a hint of panic in his eyes that Kuroko didn't think had anything to do with the fact that he'd been playing with what was basically a spear.

 _Is Suga that worried about a little splinter?_ Kuroko wondered.

The setter took it carefully from him, flashes of emotion crossing his face almost too quickly to see. "It's dangerous, but we should still be able to fix it . . ."

"Why do you still have this, senpai?" Kuroko asked, eyebrows furrowing. Why go to the trouble of fixing it, when it would take less effort to by a new one? Sugawara twitched, and he found himself mentally backpedalling at the stunned hurt that crossed the setter's face.

"It's . . . well I would say its special except," Sugawara said slowly, placing it in the same corner Kuroko had found it in, fiddling with it several times to make sure it wouldn't fall over again, eyes never meeting his. "Well, except it's more of a reminder than anything else."

He was gone before Kuroko could decide if it was worth prying to get the story behind the pain in his senpai's eyes. It had looked too much like him after . . .

"I suppose every team has their secrets," Kuroko murmured, tone dark. He walked out of the storage closet as Hinata yelled for him, trying to rebury the memories that had started to come flooding out of the dam he'd carefully blocked them behind.

Dinner was waiting at home, after all.

* * *

Kuroko breathed in the night air, basking in the sounds of oncoming summer. Crickets chirping, the buzz of life around him, the constant rattle of Hinata's bike tires next to him . . . it was calming.

 _Who'd have thought when I came here that I could enjoy peaceful silence with_ Hinata, _of all people?_ Kuroko mused, trailing his fingers along the brick wall.

The silence was something he had noticed cropping up more and more often as they walked together every evening. Sometimes they'd banter back and forth the whole way, and other times, like tonight, they spent most of the walk in contemplative silence.

Still, Hinata's frown and slightly shorter strides said something, and it didn't take him long to discern the reason for Hinata's thoughtful mood.

"Are you thinking about what Nishinoya-senpai said?" Kuroko asked, shuffling a couple steps further from the train tracks as they began to rumble. "About Asahi-san?"

Because they had brought Nishinoya-senpai back, and it was obvious how much the Libero loved volleyball. It was just like Hinata to want to bring that same light to Nishinoya's friend too.

Hinata merely nodded. Kuroko waited silently, train cars rattling past them with a whistle. Most people assumed that Hinata blurted out whatever came through his head, what with how rambunctious he could be. It was only after months of spending all his time around the oranget that Kuroko had realized that Hinata filtered _everything_ he said before it even came out of his mouth. In some ways, Hinata considered his words more carefully than _Kuroko_ did.

It was a couple moments more before Hinata spoke up again, voice quiet. Kuroko wasn't sure if he was being conscientious of the late hour or whether he was worried how Kuroko would react.

"It just doesn't seem right," The spiker said finally, hands tightening around the handlebars. "Asahi was the Ace, right? He's supposed to be the support for the team, the driving force of it. You don't just _abandon your team._ "

Kuroko flinched. "But . . ." _But_ we _abandoned our team._

Hinata's head snapped to the side, horrified expression flickering across his face. "I didn't mean it like that."

"How did you mean it, then?" Kuroko snapped wearily, rubbing his forehead. At some point in their conversation they'd stopped walking.

"I just meant that losing isn't the end," Hinata said, voice still panicky. "It's not a reason to give up. Quitting means that you're not helping your team get _better._ Our circumstances were completely different. They abandoned _us_ first."

His breathing shook, eyes studying the ground intently. It wasn't like he didn't understand where Hinata was coming from. But hearing it put like that . . .

"Hey," Hinata said softly, touching Kuroko's shoulder lightly. "Forget I said anything, ok? I'm just being an idiot."

"No," Kuroko protested, giving him a weak grin. "Not an idiot. Never an idiot." Because as much as it hurt to accept, Hinata was right. Aomine had given up on them long before Kuroko had turned in his resignation. The sooner he accepted that, the sooner he could get over it.

At least he hoped so.

The thought made him pause, eyes wide. _I've been thinking about this all wrong._ He realized. I _still feel guilty about quitting basketball- who's to say Asahi-san doesn't feel the same way?_

Just because the old Ace had quit didn't mean he didn't want to come back.

But . . . There was nothing he could do about that, was there? He couldn't insist that Asahi-san come back if the Ace didn't want to, even if it meant Nishinoya-senpai would stay. After all, hadn't Kuroko rejected Kise's offer to come back to basketball just a week ago? It'd be hypocritical of him to expect the Ace to do what he'd been unwilling to.

"Tsu-kun?" Hinata asked, voice edging from worry to panic. His hand relaxed unconsciously, palms stinking from where his nails had dug in. He looked at the indents, marvelling at the pins-and-needles feeling turning the skin from white to red.

He . . . didn't quite want to verbalize his thoughts aloud. Not that he thought Hinata wouldn't understand, but it would cause more tension, and he wasn't in the mood for a lecture tonight.

"Well, I'm not letting him get away with it," Hinata said firmly, as if Kuroko _had_ spoken his thoughts aloud. "He might think he's not needed or wanted on the team, but that's just stupid. They all miss him- we just need to show him that."

Kuroko blinked, surprised. Hinata was shifting from foot to foot, eyes boring into him like he was trying to instigate telepathy. He rocked back on his heels, reeling. _Oh._

Hinata wasn't just talking about Asahi.

A smile broke out on his face- for once not just a twitch or a half smirk- an honest to goodness smile. Hinata's eyes widened, before _beaming,_ eyes suspiciously wet.

"B-baka," Hinata stuttered, sounding suspiciously like Kageyama. "Come on. Mom's still waiting with food back home."

Kuroko nodded, smile dimming into something softer as he hopped on the back seat of Hinata's bike, wind ripping the air from his lungs as Hinata pushed off towards their destination.

"I'll help you," Kuroko murmured, voice barely audible with the wind racing through their ears. But Hinata caught everything, no matter how small or insignificant, and the broad grin was visible even from the back of the bike.

 _After all,_ He thought, head drooping onto Hinata's back as the steady movement of the bike lulled him into a psuedo-sleep, _Kuroko Tetsuya was never the type to give up, was he?_

* * *

Hinata and his plans for bringing Asahi back to the club would have to wait until after practice.

Which was fine by Kuroko, because the oncoming confrontation and the unknown entity that was Asahi was making him antsy. He could use the opportunity to burn off some energy.

That, combined with Nishinoya's acceptance yesterday to teach receiving, led to the present moment.

"Roooooolling Thuuuuuunder!" Nishinoya yelled, diving for the ball before rolling back onto his feet. The ball arched beautifully, landing perfectly in the bin. Kuroko applauded, impressed, but apparently he was the only one, because Suga was sighing and Daichi hitting his head against the wall repeatedly.

"That was just a normal rolling receive, right? Why did he do the yell?" Kageyama muttered beside him, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi chortling.

Kuroko shook his head, knowing exactly what was going to happen. True to form, Noya turned, sharp ears instantly picking up the criticism. "Oi, you three! Kneel down, sit down, whatever, just get below my line of sight! I wanna lecture you!"

"Nishinoya-senpai, please teach me the Rolling Thunder!" Hinata yelled, dodging the flying hands. Kuroko stepped forward, raising a hand, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"Me too, please."

"Man, you two, I swear." Daichi sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, the hand rubbing his forehead not quite hiding his smile.

A clattering of the door announced Takeda-sensei's arrival. Kuroko turned, curious at the bright smile on the advisor's face. "Hey, everyone listen up, I've got an announcement!"

The team gathered in front of him curiously, and as Takeda-sensei explained about their training trip during Golden Week and- the part that he had been so excited about- a practice match with Nekoma, excited conversation broke out.

"Nekoma?" Kuroko asked, a bit surprised- not at the fact that they had a practice match, but that he recognized the name. His brow furrowed as he tried to place the familiarity. "They're in. . . Tokyo, right?"

"You know them, Kuroko-kun?" Sugawara asked, shocked, and Kuroko nodded. He normally didn't know very many famous volleyball teams, but . . . "I recognize the name. If I'm remembering correctly, we played against their basketball team a few times over the years. I didn't realize they had a good volleyball team as well."

He scanned the looks around him, halting when he saw the dangerous mix of contemplation and anger on Tsukishima's face. "Nekoma is a high school," The blond pointed out. "Are you telling me that the Generation of Miracles were so good that they had to go to _High Schools_ to get competition?"

Kuroko tensed under the accusation, feet rooting to the floor. An orange hair butted in front of him, pushing him back from the blonde. "Teiko's full of crazy prodigies, not just the Generation of Miracles. It was normal for sports teams there to go up against High Schools regularly to drive them forward."

"And you know this how?" Tsukishima said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Kuroko held his breath as Hinata jerked a shoulder in a tense shrug.

"Let's just say basketball wasn't my first choice for a club there."

"And by that he means that he tried out for every single sport before being kicked out of them for being overbooked," Kuroko said, trying for a joking tone and missing slightly. The look he gave to Tsukishima was clear, and the way the blonde huffed and backed off told him the message had been received.

"Nekoma used to be one of our fiercest competitors," Suga intervened, placing himself between the two groups that had formed and smiling at each. "Back in the day, their battles were legendary- though they never got to be seen in stadiums. I'm pretty sure the year the Little Giant was at Karasuno was as close as they got- isn't that right, sensei?"

"Yup," Takeda-sensei confirmed. "When I heard about the rivalry our teams had back in the day, I just had to get a practice match with them! Hopefully it'll help coax him." The last part was muttered, but Kuroko was still close enough to hear it.

He blinked. _Coax who?_

"Alright, alright," Daichi said over the growing din. "We'll go over the details later. For now, let's get practicing again! We want to be at our best if we're going to compete with Nekoma!"

"Ossu!" The team roared.

* * *

"Daichi-san." Nishinoya said, drawing the Captain's attention. "I won't be participating in the practice match."

"Eh?" Daichi looked scandalized. "Why not?"

Nishinoya fiddled with the ball in his hands. "If I played in the match and our team won . . . That'd be proof that we don't need Asahi anymore. And . . . And I don't think I could stand that." Bumping the ball, it landed in the bin perfectly. "I feel like our team is finally heading in the right direction now. You've got the new freshman duo to bump up the offense, and Kuroko-san would make a good Libero, with some instruction. I- I'm sorry for being difficult but-"

"Alright," Daichi interrupted, and his head jerked up. "But come to the training camp."

"But-" Nishinoya started, about to dive into _why_ he just couldn't play- not without Asahi- when a tug on his sleeve made him turn around.

Kuroko was there, showing up without a sound like he always did. He was holding a ball, hope and slight frustration peeking through his eyes.

"Nishinoya-senpai, would you show me the Rolling Thunder again? I can't figure it out on my own."

He blinked. _What?_

Noya turned to Daichi, eyes begging for . . . who knew what. Daichi just smiled. "Hey, you were the one who said he could be great with some instruction."

A blush broke out on his face, and he was about to protest- vocally, but he stopped just as quickly. The hopefulness had turned into blatant surprise, the kid looking . . . very touched.

"You think I'll be great at volleyball?" Kuroko-san whispered, like saying it any louder would break the spell. He couldn't move under the suspiciously shiny gaze.

 _Darn freshman and they're guilt tripping puppy dog eyes,_ Noya thought viciously. Even as he did, though, he could feel Daichi's warning glare in his back to not screw this up. He scoffed.

 _A little faith would be nice._

"Alright, alright. I'll do it." He acquiesced, reaching out to fluff Kuroko's hair. The bluenet blinked, smiling up at him. His heart leaped. The motion had made his kohai's whole face light up like a christmas tree, and the Libero-in-training promptly drug him over to the net, chattering a hundred miles an hour.

Daichi was laughing on the sidelines, and Noya shook his head hopelessly. _Darn conniving Captain, using Kuroko to get me to agree to go._

 _Still,_ He thought fondly, as Kuroko nodded enthusiastically (in that restrained Kuroko fashion that Nishinoya was starting to notice and recognize) _It should be illegal to have kohai this cute._

* * *

The next day, Kuroko followed Kageyama out of the classroom. "You coming with us?" Hinata asked as he bounded up to them, eyes firm with resolve.

"You're going to see Asahi-san?" Kageyama confirmed. Hinata nodded once, twitchy fingers the only sign that the spiker was nervous.

"Then yes," Kageyama stated simply.

"When did you talk to Kageyama about this?" Kuroko asked Hinata curiously. It wasn't like he'd mentioned anything to the setter.

"Last night," Hinata admitted, looking sheepish. "I was nervous- but Kageyama said he doesn't think Asahi hates Volleyball," Hinata rattled off, like he was trying to reassure himself, following a half pace behind Kageyama as they made their way to the third year's wing.

"When did I say that?" Kageyama asked, giving Hinata an eyebrow.

"Last night as we were cleaning up," Hinata replied promptly, eyes flickering all around the hallway, nudging them to the side when a group of girls went past them.

 _Wonder if Hinata noticed that he was going off of Kageyama's word that Asahi didn't hate Volleyball._ Kuroko wondered, subtly switching places with the setter so he could bump Hinata's shoulder.

The oranget jumped, relaxing when he saw it was just Kuroko. With a smile, he bounded forward, taking the lead once more. Kageyama shot him a confused look, and he just shrugged.

 _Still,_ he thought, _the fact that Hinata's relying on socially stunted Kageyama for that reassurance . . . he probably doesn't trust his own instinct when it comes to loving sports anymore. Not after the Miracles._

"What do you think he'll be like? I asked around and most people think he's some sort of mobster."

"Can't be, they'd never let someone like that into the school. Would they? What do you think, Kuroko?"

He blinked, surprised at being brought into the conversation so abruptly and scrambling to come up with a response.

Kuroko didn't really know Asahi. He had never met the former Ace. But he knew that there was still a hole left behind from when he'd left. He knew that Asahi meant a lot to Noya-senpai. Knew that if he didn't come back, Noya wouldn't play.

And that wasn't acceptable.

Still . . . "If Haizaki was able to stay in school despite being a delinquent I don't see why Asahi-san wouldn't be allowed to. But do you really think Nishinoya-senpai would be friends with someone like that?" He asked dryly.

"True," Hinata conceded, chewing on a fingernail. "Not a mobster then. Maybe he's just like Tanaka-senpai? The wild type?"

They bantered back and forth all the way through the hallways, drawing amused glances everywhere they went (and some disapproving ones from the teachers). It died when they got to the classroom Suga had given them directions to.

"Well? Who wants to get him?" Kageyama asked, feet tapping in his own show of nervousness. Hinata instantly protested, but Kuroko was already striding forward.

"Excuse me," He spoke up, ignoring the stunned silence from the hallway and swallowing his own anxiety. "Do you happen to know where we can find Azumane Asahi?"

The student blinked up at him- not because he was short, but because he'd fallen out of his seat in shock when Kuroko had "appeared".

"I-I'm Azumane Asahi. Who are you?" He asked, eyes flicking between Kuroko and the door- blocked by Hinata and Kageyama. Kuroko frowned, seeing the way the class started muttering.

"Maybe we could talk about this outside?"

* * *

"Why are you guys so adamant about this? We haven't even played together." Asahi asked, when they had finished explaining why they were there.

"Because our senpai's are sad when you're not there!" Hinata exclaimed, fire burning in his eyes.

"Idiot, you're being way too loud," Kageyama sighed, jabbing a hand into his side to shut him up. _He stole my move,_ Kuroko pouted.

Asahi barked a laugh at their antics, and he flushed. "You guys are funny." Asahi chuckled, before growing somber. "Sorry to disappoint you, but . . . I can't visualize spiking past high blocks in front of me anymore. I can't get the thoughts of getting shut out, of seeing myself intimidated, and self-destructing out of my head. . ."

Kuroko's gaze darkened.

He had guessed that those would be Asahi's thoughts. Had _known_ as soon as Hinata had said that he planned to change the Ace's mind that he wouldn't be able to say anything. He wasn't able to talk _himself_ out of these feelings, how could he expect to convince someone else?

 _Was I stupid to think that I'd be any help with this?_

Surprisingly, it was Hinata who spoke up, brazen language replaced with the quieter empathy Kuroko was familiar with. "I know you may think I'm cocky for saying this, coming from a first year . . . But I understand." Hinata said quietly, fingers coming up to clench his shirt.

Kuroko took that half step closer to the oranget, arm brushing against Hinata's. He blinked when he saw Asahi-san's eyes follow the movement. Hinata continued, and the Ace's eyes shifted back, making Kuroko wonder if the Ace had just been trying to avoid Hinata's fiery eyes.

"When I played volleyball in the past, I couldn't get past any of the blockers in front of me. I was too short and didn't have great technique . . ."

 _You don't have the skills necessary to play Basketball. Just give up._

"But I have Kuroko by my side now, and with this guy's tosses" He said, pointing to Kageyama, "I know I can get past _any_ blocker. And all of a sudden, the blockers vanish from sight, and the view of the other side of the net opens up."

 _Welcome to the first string, Kuroko Tetsuya._

"And then the ball just lands in my hand perfectly and it's snug in my palm- I love that feeling!" The quiet despair was gone, replaced entirely by excitement.

 _The feeling of a pass just brushing the tips of his fingers, redirecting it past all the blockers and to the Ace._

"I envy your height and power, Asahi-san." Hinata said, hands thumping down to his sides, his voice getting firmer and firmer. "I can't fight the blockers on my own, but you _can_. Maybe you've gotten blocked a lot. Maybe you lost a game. Maybe you feel like you failed them. But you've scored a lot, too, haven't you? You get up and keep going despite the setbacks. Otherwise, how can you call yourself an Ace?"

 _The burn that would last hours after an Ignite pass, and using it anyways. If it let them win . . . he would do anything. Even strain his arms past their limits._

Hinata was catching his breath a little by the end of his speech, but was staring avidly at the Ace, never wavering. The lunch bell rang, but Kuroko barely heard it. Kageyama was the one to jab a hand into Hinata's kidney, whacking Kuroko lightly upside the head.

"C'mon, you two. We have class to get back to. Asahi-san."

They started walking back, Kuroko's footsteps halting as he realized Kageyama wasn't by his side. He turned to see Kageyama staring down the Ace. "You know you don't fight alone on the court, right? That's why there are six players instead of one."

Kuroko's breath froze in his throat. It . . . it was true. It was the reason he'd been drawn to volleyball. Still, to hear it phrased like that . . . Kageyama was shrugging, turning back to them. "I only learned that recently, though, so maybe I can't talk."

Kuroko gave Kageyama a small smile, causing the setter to do a double take. Hinata captured his attention relatively easily, though. The two continued to argue about who knows what the length of the hallway. Kuroko, on the other hand, was dizzy with the thoughts racing through his head.

 _You don't fight alone on the court. That's why there's six players instead of one._

The sentiment was such a stark difference from what Teiko had preached that it caught him off guard. From the start, their coaches had preached _strength_ in all aspects, and made no allowances for weakness. Failure was met with instant punishment, with no help in striving towards success. If you couldn't succeed, you weren't valuable.

In the few weeks that they had been at Karasuno it became obvious that Teiko's way of thinking was limited to that school- and Kuroko had begun to doubt that it was better, even considering the school's track record. What were wins worth if the players didn't enjoy the game, after all?

But Karasuno . . . not only did they win, but they enjoyed doing it. Failure, while expected, was met with helping hands instead of sharp reprimands.

 _No wonder they're all desperate for Asahi to come back,_ he thought, surprised by how clear it was when one considered the logic.

"- wasn't just going to leave him!" Hinata protested. "We're part of Karasuno's team now, and so is he, like it or not!"

Kuroko blinked, a knot in him unravelling. _Ah. It really is that simple, isn't it?_

Karasuno was a team. It didn't matter if you left- you never stopped being a part of it.

 _Now we just have to convince Asahi-san of that._

* * *

Kise's spine straightened, fingers tightening slightly around the phone. "Momoi-chii, this is unexpected. You do know I'm in practice, right?"

"I know," Momoi said, voice still a bit sharper than he was used to hearing- maybe the phone was messing with her voice? "But I needed to ask you about Tetsu-kun. I can't find anything on him and I'm worried. Has he texted you at all?"

"No," He said, carefully. "And he hasn't answered any of my texts either." Both were true. Of course, he _had_ gone to Kuroko-chii's school and talked to him in _person_ but Momoi-chii hadn't asked that.

Yet.

There was a sigh that sounded almost _frustrated._ "Stupid baka, not picking up any of my calls. . ."

The gears started whirring, and he glanced at where the team was finishing up drills next to him. If Momoi-chii hadn't found out where they'd gone yet, it meant that either they were doing well at staying off the grid, or their old manager hadn't expected them to go to school so far from Tokyo and hadn't checked those school's records yet.

"What's this about, Momoi-chii?" He asked, point blank.

"Sei-chan asked me to look into where Shou-kun and Tetsu-kun went. He hasn't been able to find them, and neither have I. I was hoping maybe you'd be able to help, with your resources-"

The rest of her sentence was lost as he was yanked around by his arm, coming face to face with an angry Kasamatsu.

"What have I told you about this phone during practice?" Kasamatsu growled. Kise barely got to open his mouth to protest (and he didn't even know _how_ to protest, it wasn't like he _wanted_ to talk to Momoi-chii right now) before the phone was forcibly yanked from his hand.

"I don't care who this is or why you're calling our resident idiot, but we're _practicing,_ so stop distracting him!" Kasamatsu yelled, hanging up before Momoi could get a word in and turn their woman-fearing taicho into a stuttering mess.

"There," The captain muttered darkly, shoving the phone back into Kise's bag and dragging him onto court. "It rings again and I'm breaking it," He said.

Water filled his eyes, making Kasamatsu-taicho stutter to a halt, gaping at him.

"Taicho, thank you!" Kise cried, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for saving me from the she-demon!"

"Get off, idiot!"

When Kasamatsu's hands didn't even budge him, the captain sighed. "Why did you even pick up if you didn't want to talk to her?"

The words were like a bucket of water over his head, and a half-hearted push from his captain was enough to send him to the floor.

"I . . ." He said, eyes wide. "Why do I . . ?"

Why _did_ he always pick up when Momoi-chii called? This time he'd done it without looking at the number, but before, when her or- or _any_ of the Miracles called, he always picked up. He'd brushed it off before as him being friendly, or wanting to talk to his friends, but even when he wasn't in the mood, he still picked up. Even when he'd gotten a dressing down from Akashi-chii he still picked up the next time the redhead had called.

He'd never thought of it as weird before. So why did he have this uneasiness about it now . . ?

"Idiot," The word was said almost fondly, hand coming down to scruff his hair. Kise blinked up as the captain walked away. "Next time if you need a way out just hang up. Or give it to me- I'll gladly take care of them for you if it means you'll focus more on practice."

He bounced up, shoving the uneasiness aside as he bounded after his captain. "That was really nice, captain! Does this mean you've gotten over your fear of girls?"

"Shut up, idiot! Go do 100 laps!"

"Ehhhhh?"

* * *

 **GUYS. 83 reviews? Over 200 favorites? Over 260 followers?! I'm blown away. We gotta do something special. Raph we're doing something special right?** _**Sure I guess**_ **. Hahahaha so lackluster.**

 **ANYWAYS. To celebrate the next five people to post on our new forum get a scene of their choice for us to write. You can post with a prompt or just a "first!" if you want, and give us your prompt for a scene later, whatever. :) (Keep in mind scenes will have certain criteria, like no Romance, no spoilers, might be noncanonical with what we have planned for IYPN, etc.)**

 **But enough of that, on to the Kudos! Thanks to Egnaro, YomuHime, Allen, Moonshadowcuteness1, Shadow Wolf 15846, Natsuki D, chibi-no-baka, roguehunterguardian, and LovelyPrincess22 for your wonderful reviews!**

 _ **I hope you all know how much your comments, reviews, and post to the forum mean to Mikey. She absolutely thrives off every one, and nothing would get her more excited to write than to have constant attention to the story. I keep us going sure, but she gets discouraged very easily, and for some reason doesn't believe me when I tell her that y'all love this Fic. So make sure she knows you all appreciate her, post to the forum to get some sweet new scenes (seriously, we're like super pumped to get some new ideas and interests from y'all), and enjoy the story.**_

 _ **We're about to get to the turning point in this fic, and then everything is going to get really exciting really quickly. Honestly, we're probably only. . . I'd say no more than 5 chapters from where the real story starts ;) so, stay tuned, help Mikey stay excited, and hold onto your hats, cause it's about to get real here real quick.**_

 **With that aside, head on over to the Forum! Quick! Before the spots are gone! (And post something while you're there, darling, we enjoy your visits ;)**

 **Mikey** _ **and Raph**_

 **~Writing in Tandem**


	14. Phantom Pains Part 3

**Hello lovelies!**

 **Been a while, hasn't it? So um. Sorry about that (sheepish grin) but I started college (finally) and we moved countries so we've been a bit busy. Sorry for the delay, and here's the new chapter!**

 _ **She says like that's all there was too it. Good grief, our lives fell apart for a while there. I had finals and then I had to find another job, and then I was working 70+ hours a week, and Mikey was moving out AND moving in, then they got bed bugs (and still havent gotten rid of them) and vacation and school starting back up and I joined the Color Guard and-**_

 _ **Yes. Our lives have been a mess. Also, I keep my promises- though any of you who don't read the author notes probably have no idea what I'm talking about. I didn't mean for it to go on**_ _quite_ _ **this long, but there you have it. Mikey cried over this chapter for you all though, so I hope you show your love and appreciation that I know you all have.**_

 **It's been a real struggle to get this one up to scratch- this was the chapter I most looked forward to writing when I first started this thing, and I wanted it to be the best it could be. It isn't perfect by a long shot- I got super frustrated partway through, and we cut at** _ **least**_ **2,000 words off of it to make it run smoother. (If any of you want the deleted scenes, check out our author page- we'll make sure to post it up soon!)**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own KnB, Haikyuu, or any other franchises that get cameo'd in here. :)**

* * *

"So Asahi's back for good now, right?" Hinata confirmed uncertainly, scowling at his laces as they stubbornly stayed in their knots.

Kuroko paused from where he was gathering his bag, wiping away the sweat that threatened to trickle down his forehead. " _I_ think so," He replied. "Asahi-san looked very happy to play with Nishinoya-senpai again."

They'd played hard against the neighborhood team their new coach had cobbled together. Even Kuroko. He'd been surprised at being put as a Libero on the Karasuno team, but it seemed he was the only one. Nishinoya, far from being mad at having his spot taken, seemed _proud_ of him.

"You're a crazy good receiver for your first year," Nishinoya-senpai had said, puffing his chest out and nodding to punctuate his statement. "With practice, you could be great—though you have a long way to go before you surpass _me!_ "

Kuroko's lips curled into a smile behind his shirt, still raised to his forehead. Hearing that had been even better than Akashi praising his lack of presence back in Teiko. This was something he had worked on, sweat over. Something he could be noticed for, rather than looked over for.

Hinata beamed, bouncing where he sat. "Right though? I can't wait to play against him again. He's such a cool ace! His spike was all like _whoom_ and _bam!_ "

Kuroko shook his head, tension seeping out of his frame and lips twitching up a notch. "You mean the same spike that hit your face because you were admiring him?"

The red that crawled up Hinata's cheeks was enough of an answer, even as the oranget bounded to his feet and began protesting in earnest.

"Shut up, dobe, you're disrupting the neighborhood!" Kageyama yelled, tossing an empty water bottle at Hinata's bouncing head with surprising accuracy. Hinata's ire instantly turned to the setter, slight grin visible on his face as they went through their normal play fight.

He let the familiar noise wash over him along with the breeze from the open doors- it was only when Suga gave him a knowing grin as he walked out alongside Daichi that he sighed and turned to the duo.

"It's going to get dark if we don't leave soon," Kuroko called, slinging his bag over a shoulder and slipping on his outdoor shoes before walking out into the night air. Hinata's protests of him "leavin him behind" made his lips twitch in laughter. As if he'd ever leave the spiker behind for real.

He breathed out contentedly, stopping at the gates to gaze at the sky, fading from sunset into true night. Hinata panted up to his side, Kageyama right behind, barely glancing at him before coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

 _I love this place_. He thought fondly. Who'd have thought when they first met that Kageyama would become so close? So comfortable with someone he'd run over on their first meeting? How often was it nowadays that he had to hide smiles, laugh under his breath? Surely he hadn't done it this much at Teiko, even with the abundance of people that had interacted with him on a daily basis.

Breathing in the serenity, he leaned up against Hinata's shoulder, noting the lessening distance between their heights as he did so. Things were changing, that much was clear. While they'd never been close in middle school, now he got barely a glance for the motion, Hinata simply accepting the contact at face value.

The three of them stood in companionable silence, watching the twilight fade until Kageyama shifted and nudged him slightly. "It's getting dark," he murmured.

A subtle reminder that they should be getting home, a query as to whether he was ready to part ways. He sighed. As much as he'd like to freeze this moment and live in it forever, they had to continue moving forward.

"We'll see you later, then," Hinata said, answering for him as Kuroko met his gaze. Kageyama nodded knowingly, smiling as Hinata tugged Kuroko onto his bike- Kuroko barely realized his shin hit the pedal in his surprise.

"I didn't realize I was coming home with you," He said, trying to push down the panic that came with _Hinata_ and _bike._

"Good luck," Kageyama said, and if not for the glitter of amusement in his eyes Kuroko would've never known the serious voice held anything but truth. The flash of joy that Kageyama was actually teasing him did not belie his panic in the _slightest._

"You think mom gave me a choice!? Come on, Tsu-kun! See ya later, Kageyama!" Hinata called, before pushing off down the hill, leaving Kageyama laughing behind them and saying things Kuroko really couldn't make out over the rush of air in his ears and

 _Nooooooonononono—_

* * *

Kuroko heaved a sigh of relief, glancing in the rearview mirror just in time to catch Mrs. Hinata's eyes, which were crinkled in a grin. "Thank you for the ride," He said gratefully. She was a lifesaver. A saint. Everything Hinata was _not_ as he had taken off down the hill leaving Kuroko hanging on for dear life. He wasn't even asleep this time to escape the horror of it all.

She laughed.

"I used to take bike rides with Shoyo when he was just a toddler," She explained, grin broadening and a mischievous sparkle entering her eyes. "I know _exactly_ how crazy he can be."

Hinata pouted, shifting lower in the seat- the front one, leaving Kuroko in the back with Natsu, who was extraordinarily awake even though it was past her normal bedtime.

"I didn't _mean_ to drop him off the back last time, ya know," He whined, shifting his gaze to stare at Kuroko plaintively. "There's a lot of turns in the mountain path. I didn't think you'd just _let go._ "

Kuroko winced. He . . . had a point. He'd been so relaxed after their conversation the other week that he'd completely fallen asleep, somehow forgetting that riding with Hinata meant serious injury if you weren't holding on for dear life.

Ah well. At least he'd only gotten minor scrapes that were now mostly healed. He'd dealt with worse from basketball injuries.

Which was why it had come as a surprise when Mrs. Hinata had freaked out after it happened and planted him in the kitchen, Hinata keeping him captive and Natsu-chan taking great pleasure in sticking Disney bandaids all over him.

He couldn't _remember_ the last time someone had made such a fuss over his well being.

Finally, he'd had to chalk it up to one of the Hinata family quirks, in the same category as their tendency to switch between Japanese and English without any warning. Kami knew his family had their fair share of language problems.

So it was fine, really. He felt more at home with them than he ever had in his parent's mansion, dodging questions about when he was going to take over the company.

"Don't worry about it, _sweetheart_ ," She said, the foreign word rolling off her tongue with apparent ease, despite him not being part of her immediate family. Another new development. By the kind tone, she'd caught his introspective mood, and was working to get him out of his own head. "We'll always patch you up whenever you happen to need it."

"Although," She said, tone becoming wry as she turned her head to smirk at her son. "I'd appreciate it if it didn't happen quite so often. I'm beginning to think Shoyo is a bad influence on you."

By the way Hinata shrunk in his seat Kuroko just _knew_ he was blushing. Natsu giggled.

"Nee-chan's as red as his hair!" She cheered, leaning forward to drag her fingers through Hinata's curled spikes. Impossibly, he sunk lower, making her screech as he moved out of her reach.

"Stop that," Mrs. Hinata sighed with exasperation, taking her hand of the wheel to smack her son, all the while deftly taking a corner that would've made anyone else's head spin.

"You really don't have any height to spare, Hinata," Kuroko teased, mouth twitching at Natsu-chan's continued attempts to reach her brother, despite her seat buckle. "You barely make the height requirement to sit in the front as it is."

 _That_ was enough to get Hinata to bolt upright. "That's not true!" He protested.

They _all_ laughed at that one, which made Hinata pout- though Kuroko knew he was secretly pleased at being able to make Kuroko laugh. He didn't begrudge him that happiness- even _he_ was glad that he was able to laugh more freely- it didn't make sense to hold it against his best friend for being able to accomplish the feat.

"So, what's on the list for movie night tonight?" Mrs. Hinata asked, masterfully redirecting the conversation before the happiness could die out into embarrassment.

"Lilo!" Natsu-chan called before anyone else could say anything.

"Lilo?" Kuroko repeated, brow furrowing as he tried to get the pronunciation of the English word right.

"Lilo and Stitch," Hinata explained, flipping around in his seat to prop his chin on the headrest, ignoring his mother's playful glare at the motion. "The Disney movie! Where the little Hawaiian girl finds the alien and-"

"Shhh! Spoilers, nee-chan! Spoilers!" Natsu cried, smacking her hands over her ears and glaring at her big brother.

"Ah, that's right, Natsu-chan hasn't seen it yet!" Mrs. Hinata said, before her eyes flicked to him in the rearview mirror. "Have you, Kuroko-kun? You're more than welcome to join us either way."

"I- I wouldn't want to impose," He said slowly, because he knew by now Friday Night was _movie night_ in the Hinata household, and that wasn't something he wanted to infringe on. He wasn't quite sure how family traditions worked, but surely they were more exclusive than this?

Apparently not, or maybe it was just another Hinata exception, because if anything, they seemed _more_ put out by his reticence.

"Noooooo, ghost-nii _needs_ to come!" Natsu cried, pouting and clinging to his arm.

"Really, Tsu-kun, you _need_ to see this one," Hinata insisted, eyes just a little sad. His heart skipped a beat in panic. He knew he was going to say yes even before Mrs. Hinata made her comment.

"You're already part of the family, Kuroko-kun. You wouldn't be imposing at all," She said gently.

His eyes widened. _Family._

He melted, nodding.

"So," She said, tone changing drastically, eyes twinkling as she glanced in the rearview mirror. "Are you guys all packed for training camp?"

* * *

"It's a good movie. You should watch it sometime," Kuroko insisted, and Narita nodded enthusiastically.

"My sister would probably like it a lot," He agreed. "I'll try to find it next time I swing by the store."

"Hinata would probably let you borrow it if you asked," Kuroko added hesitantly, looking around to see if he could catch a glimpse of orange among the bustle of people exiting the bus. He wasn't sure if he should be volunteering it without asking, but . . .

Narita made it easy on him by shaking his head, a small grin visible on his face as they entered the hotel. "Nah. Knowing Nami-chan she'll get attached and want to watch it every day for the next two weeks. Better to own it, ne?"

Kuroko shook his head, shoulders drooping as the tension flooded away. He didn't even realize he'd tensed up.

Which begged the question- why _was_ he tense? He pondered the question as they settled down into their rooms, laying out futons and generally making a ruckus. It wasn't just from his and Narita's conversation- he was becoming more confident in conversing with the team every day. The panic, edgy feeling of growing paranoia- that was something else entirely.

"Alright firsties, your turn!" Tanaka boomed, entering the room with a bang.

He jolted out of his thoughts abruptly, shirt falling limply from his fingers. Daichi's voice of reprimand was growing in volume as he chased down the rowdy second year, and Kuroko breathed in carefully. _There's absolutely no reason to be so jumpy,_ He berated himself, packing up his stuff and weaving through the hallways almost on autopilot.

It certainly wasn't tension from too much interaction, he mused. Karasuno had been careful the whole bus ride to notice when he curled in on himself. That much was evident from the way they gave him space whenever he was starting to feel particularly overwhelmed.

Which was something that would never cease to amaze and comfort him. He really did have the best team.

His gait faltered as his arm collided with the wall. _Team._

Rubbing his elbow, Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed, gaze now fixed on his belongings that had tumbled to the ground. _That. . . might be it_. He was in Tokyo now- it would make sense that his body was reacting to the familiar - _hostile-_ environment in a way he'd grown out of in Miyagi. Tokyo meant the Miracles.

 _-It meant_ _ **danger**_ _-_

In Miyagi, there had been no chance of accidentally running into them. - _Kise was an exception, always an exception-_ Here in Tokyo, though . . .

"Uwahhh!" Hinata's voice rang out, and Kuroko jerked, belongings falling from his fingers yet again- he'd just _barely_ picked them up, too.

"Th-there's no such thing as ghosts, guys!" A voice rang out frantically, and it took him a moment to pin it as _Tanaka's_.

Tanaka, who barely got scared of anything.

Excitement rose in him. _I shouldn't_ , he thought, but his mind flickered to the hazing the second years had put them through on the bus, the way his clothes were now dusty from hitting the floor so many times. So, with a smirk, he slunk forward, shoving down the growing anticipation along with his presence. The excitement doubled when Nishinoya's panicked voice rang out.

"Say that when you're not clinging to my arm, Ryu!" Nishinoya yelled.

 _Target Acquired._

"G-guys, Daichi'll get mad if we're too loud-" Asahi-san stuttered, reaching a shaking hand out to them, hair down in a way that spoke of a recent bath. All four of them were bundled together. _Perfect._

"People Die…" He murmured the first line of the oft quoted phrase, coming up behind them and releasing his presence slowly, and they _shook_ as they turned, horror dawning on their faces.

He brought his eyes up slowly, dredging a creepy, maniacal grin from the darkest parts of his memories. The face she'd always make when he'd messed up again and had to chastise him. "Beauty Fades… Love Changes…" He paused, feeling a bit of guilt creep in at the petrified looks on their faces. How often had he faded into the distance just to avoid the look he was giving them now?

He shivered, tearing his eyes away from them. "And you will always be alone," He murmured, voice nearly breaking. He'd always hated that phrase.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

He jumped, jarred by the sudden scream. The trio cried, turning to run- Tanaka bodily picking Hinata up and running, Asahi right behind him. Tanaka, far from leaving Hinata behind to the whims of the 'ghost', had taken him with him, despite Hinata's cries that "Stop, it's just Tsu-kun!"

There was a huge sigh, and Kuroko very nearly jumped, surprised to see that he hadn't scared everyone off. (Even _he_ wasn't unaffected, and he had been the one to instigate it!)

Despite the smile, the scare, the words . . . Nishinoya was still standing there, surprise leeching from his frame and face showing _amusement._

"Man don't _do_ that to me," Nishinoya-senpai complained, socking him gently on the shoulder with a grin. "I need my heart intact for volleyball."

Kuroko blinked. Nishinoya's eyes were alight with humor. - _That . . ._ nobody _likes me popping up on them. Even Hinata . . .-_ But Hinata was different. Hinata could _see_ him now, didn't react to his vanishing act. But Nishinoya-

"Oh Kami, we have our own resident prankster," Nishinoya laughed, beaming at the ceiling, arms coming to rest behind his head. " _Man_ I can't wait til you pull the disappearing act on our opponents. Their faces will be _glorious._ "

 _-Not even Aomine . . .-_

His lips parted, lungs twanging as he pushed back tears. - _And you'll always be alone.-_

 _Not anymore, Mother._ He thought viciously. And he smiled. A genuine, open, cheek breaking smile. Because he could. Because it was so different from the horrifying one he'd given just seconds previous. He was different now. He could smile like this- open, full of feeling- and not get reprimanded.

The surprised but broad grin and happy laughter and hug Noya enveloped him in afterwards was just icing on the cake.

 _I'm not alone any longer, Okaa-san._

* * *

Kuroko was not a morning person. What started with dragging himself out of bed was followed by debating on what to have for breakfast for an hour and fighting with his bedhead and . . .

No, mornings were not his friend. But starting the day with running was just adding insult to injury.

"Alright guys, we're going on a run around the city. We're a big group, so make sure you _stick together,_ " Daichi said, directing the last couple words at Hinata and Kageyama. He probably would've found it funny, if he weren't trying to just stay upright, barely keeping his eyes open.

Predictably, Hinata took off like a bottle rocket, Kageyama following behind complaining about a false start. Daichi quickly followed them, yelling for them to slow down, while the rest of the team following suit, amusement palpable on the air..

Kuroko dropped to the back. Part of it was to avoid being trampled, but the more part of it was just exhaustion. Insomnia had kicked back in as soon as they'd entered Tokyo, and he'd had trouble getting to sleep until Hinata had flopped over and slung an arm across his chest. He'd been surprised- the orangette had been completely conked out at the time- but perhaps he shouldn't have been. It was the position they ended up in every time Kuroko slept over, after all. It was only when Natsu had joined them on the futon the other night that he realized Hinata had cultivated the habit when Natsu had trouble with bad dreams.

Still, the cool air and fast pace _did_ help wake him up a little bit.

That and the conversation the seconds years tried to pull him into. "Man, I heard what you did to Tanaka and Asahi the other day- did you really make them wet their pants?!" Kinoshita chortled.

"Not really," Kuroko said. "Or at least if they did it was after they ran away."

They laughed despite his monotone, and he relaxed a tad. At least his reluctance to participate didn't drive them away. They'd put in a lot of effort to include him yesterday, and he didn't want to ruin that through his morning mood.

Still, he wasn't quite skilled enough to talk and run at the same time, and ended up just staying silent, focusing on the road ahead of him as he enjoyed their lively conversation. It made for good background noise, at any rate. Still, it stung a little that it was the second years antics that he was listening to and not Kageyama and Hinata's usual banter.

Because despite his best efforts to work his way to the front of the group to where they were no doubt racing, the twenty minute mark saw his breath was coming in gasps and diaphragm spasming at the exertion.

Chikara and the others were laughing at something that had happened that he'd missed.

'Only for a minute,' he told himself, slowing to a walk. The others were still in sight, some moving around him so they didn't run him over. It was fine. He just . . . needed a second to breathe.

 _My legs are shaking,_ he thought incredulously. Had he really become so weak? Gotten to the point where he couldn't run more than 20 minutes without Hinata by his side? _Pathetic,_ Haizaki spat in his mind. The bitter voice stopped him in his tracks, and he leaned over his legs, struggling to take in breath. _Not you. Go away,_ he begged. Akashi had gotten rid of the bully years ago- he shouldn't still be hearing his piercing words.

Black started encroaching on his vision, breath coming through his lungs like it was being filtered through a straw.

 _Stand up straight, idiot. You need to open up your lungs- you'll just pass out if you keep leaning over like that._ Midorima reprimanded disdainfully.

Kuroko straightened instinctively at the words before going cold. He hadn't thought of Midorima- or any of the Miracles, for that matter- since he'd left Tokyo. Why were they coming back now?

That thought seemed to open the floodgate, because all of a sudden, a clamor of voices were overtaking him, memories grappling for his attention. His breathing came faster, panic beginning to set in.

 _Stop it,_ He snapped at himself. _This is nothing you haven't done before._

He could work through it. It was only a run.

Breathing in harshly, he snapped his head up, eyes flicking around for the group. And promptly felt his heart drop in his chest, dizziness sweeping over him.

He had been left behind.

His breath caught in his throat, newfound anxiety pushing his shaking legs into a sprint, eyes flittering side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of the group that he'd been a part of not five minutes before.

 _Thump thump thump_

 _-Can't've been left behind, they wouldn't do that-_

His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, vibrating in his fingers. Every breath in was cold and sharp. Pain beat through his legs in the rhythm of his jog.

 _Thump thump thump_

 _-They_ knew _I was having trouble, they can see me now they should've-_

There was a crossroads.

He stopped, legs trembling underneath him, black beginning to encroach on his vision. Choking despair clawed at him, even as he tried to think through the panic.

 _Think._ He demanded of himself, thought nearly a growl.

There wasn't much longer for their run, and Karasuno would no doubt end up at the gym space they'd rented. He knew Tokyo. He'd be able to find it. He had to.

 _And what are the chances of you running into a gym with the Miracles in it?_

 _Shut up,_ he thought viciously, sweat stinging his eyes as he thought frantically. It didn't matter. He had to find Karasuno.

So.

Left or Right?

Which way would they have gone?

 _Left or Right?_

He stumbled forward, barely catching himself on a wall. _Crud._ He was too weak. Too _weak_ , couldn't even finish a run-

'Sit down before you _fall_ down, Tsu-kun,' Hinata's amused - _concerned-_ words echoed in his ears. Immediately he collapsed against the wall, eyes automatically flicking around, trying to find his orange-headed friend. His stomach sunk when he realized that Hinata was still at the front, with _Kageyama_ , and not him as he fell into a panic attack.

The shakes were only getting worse. His breath came in gasps as he pulled his legs to his chest, trying to get air through his clenched lungs.

It wasn't working. His vision was going gray, dizziness nearly making him keel over- he didn't even know which was was up, only the scraping sensations of the brick on his back giving him any sense he was moving at all.

He was going to pass out.

"Woah woah," A calm voice murmured, steady hand coming to rest on his shoulder. He sucked in a deep breath, lightheaded at the sudden influx of air, fingers clenching the front of his shirt. "Thaaats, it," The voice said calmly, sounding a bit pleased. "Just keep breathing. In for three, out for three, right?"

It wasn't helping. He was truly in full panic now, because the wall was scraping against his back as he sobbed, trying to get away from the foreign person.

"Woah, hey it's ok. I'm just trying to help. My name's Kuroo Tetsurou. Can you tell me yours?"

Kuroko gasped again, eyes finally clearing of the black infringing on his vision, but no amount of blinking could bring the man's face into focus. He shook his head- jerkily, barely there, but he caught the nodding motion of the man's head.

"That's ok, you're ok. Just breathe with me, right? Count- In," His lungs were stuttering, palpitating irregularly, but he tried to do as he was told. The intake was interrupted by a broken sob- nearly a scream, if it weren't for the lack of air.

"Hey, you're ok. You're doing great. Out- one, two, three," Kuroko did better this time, though he was light headed from lack of oxygen at the end. He gasped in air as soon as Kuroo started the 'In' count, lungs taking in air much easier. Slowly- so slowly- Kuroo talked him from his panic, one breath at a time.

Finally, he let go of his knees, leaning his head against the wall. More steady now, but completely exhausted. He wanted to just go to sleep here- but the stranger was still there, staring.

"You good?" The man- teen, now that he could see clearly, asked, shifting a bit awkwardly. Kuroko realized then that he'd probably held up Kuroo from wherever it was he was going. On a run, based on the sweat still wet on his shirt.

"Yes," He replied, softly. Then, bowing, "Thank you." It was probably the most open he'd been to a total stranger since Ogiwara. Then again, this was how he'd met his childhood friend too, so . . .

"Good," The teen said, gusting a breath and collapsing on the ground from where he'd been perched on his toes. "I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance there for a minute. I know how to handle panic attacks, but that one was a whopper."

Kuroko shifted, slightly uncomfortable. "I don't need an ambulance." That would just cause more of a ruckus. He could handle it.

Kuroo chuckled, the sound unexpectedly warm. "I can see _that."_ The teasing made him flush. He hoped it wasn't too obvious. He didn't need to make _more_ of a fool of himself in front of a teen who'd just talked him out of-

"Still, who would leave a kid panicking in the middle of the road?" Kuroo said, incredulous. Kuroko blinked at the suddenly vehement teen.

"I- I'm invisible," Kuroko blurted.

Kuroo stared. "Right. Kay. I'm gonna take you back to my school, kay kid? We'll get you checked out and everything, and you can stick around til whoever left you on the street to panic by yourself can show their dirty face."

"I-" his voice caught on its way out his throat, brain stuttering uselessly. He could _not_ talk in front of this bullheaded teen for some reason. "My name's Kuroko, not kid."

Kuroo looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Like- like the brand?"

His expression soured, turning from the laughable bedhead the teen was sporting. "That is what people would think of first, isn't it?"

Kuroo chuckled, shaking his head. "Well then, Kuroko no-not-the-brand-name, do you wanna come with me as I track down my wayward teammate, or can I come back for you as soon as I find him? Personally, I don't want to leave you alone-" An insistent ring came from the man's pocket, and he winced.

"Go," Kuroko said instantly. "My team is . . . around here somewhere. And . . ." He said, trying to stand and proving just how bad an idea that was as his ankles trembled and plopped him back on the ground.

"Alright," Kuroo answered. "I'll be right back, then. Don't. Move." He said, punctuating his last words with a poke. Kuroko nodded, smiling slightly at the mother-henning of someone he'd just met. Kuroo smiled back broadly, before loping off purposefully.

Kuroko stared after him for a while, contemplating.

Maybe it wasn't just Karasuno who had people who would drop everything and help. Maybe . . . maybe the Miracles were exceptions, not the rule.

 _That's not very comforting_ , he thought, his head knocking softly against the brick as he relaxed.

* * *

"Woah, wha-!" The exclamation brought him out of his sleep roughly, legs stinging. "Ah shoot, my bad."

"This street's popular for being in the middle of nowhere," he mumbled, pulling his legs closer to his body to avoid being stepped on _again._

"Well maybe you shouldn't sit in the middle of the street," The guy snapped back, clasping a hand around his arm and pulling him upright with enviable ease.

On the one hand that was good, because it allowed him to fully wake up.

On the other, did it mean he was losing weight again?

A choking sound brought his eyes up to whoever had run him over. "T-tetsu?!"

He felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head- locking up his muscles and squeezing all the air from his lungs. His heart seemed to drop into his stomach and jump into his throat at the same time.

 _No no no no no no no. Of all people, why_ Him?

His chin tucked into his collarbone, eyes focusing on the ground (Those shoes, those running shoes, size 12, _his parent's_ brand, specially ordered) and not on the person in front of him.

Not a clear headed stranger, merely concerned with his panicking state, as Kuroo-san had been. No, this one was far, _far_ too close to the situation to see anything clearly.

"What are you doing here? Akashi's been tearing his hair out trying to find where you ran off to."

That grating tone. The voice rough with distaste and scorn _I don't even remember how to catch your passes_ and so, so painfully familiar that tears threatened to form.

"Let go." He breathed, head kicking back into gear and going straight from disbelieving panic to cold resolve. No matter what was said in the next couple minutes, he _would_ be heading back to his team at the end of it.

"Huh?" The voice got closer to him, hand tightening around his arm, grip painfully tight. "What'd you say?"

"Let me go, please." He said, voice a bit stronger. His vision was clearing, now, heartbeat fading back into the background. When he didn't respond, Kuroko pushed the hand off of him and rose, taking a couple quick steps backwards on shaking legs, pins and needles running through them from having been still for so long- adrenaline staving off the worst of the stiffness left over from his panic attack.

His eyes finally found him. He had grown a little taller, was broader than before (it seemed he wasn't the only one who'd put on some muscle). But the scowl was still set firmly into his face, as if etched in stone- nothing like the childlike softness from his memories.

"It's been a while . . . Aomine-kun." He said, finally.

* * *

" _Your call cannot be connected at this time, please try again soon. If you believe this message to be in error, please contact information services."_

The dial tone sounded, before being cut off by an automated click. It was the same message he had been receiving all summer.

 _This is unacceptable. I had assumed they might be out of the country, visiting family or something equally inane, but this- this cannot be allowed to continue._

Still, there wasn't much he could do here and now. Practice was due to start soon, and he would not allow anyone to believe slacking off was acceptable-

 _-vrrrt-_

: 1 new Message :

 _What's this?_ His phone was already set to do not disturb for practice, and there were very few reasons that would be circumvented-

Reading the message carefully, he couldn't help a small smile. _So quick to run, but it's harder to hide than you think isn't it?_

There was one more phone call to make today. "Coach, something very important has come up. I need to make a call. I shouldn't be long."

He didn't bother to wait for the affirming nod - _like the coach would ever deny me anything-_ before stepping out into the hall. He hit a speed dial, and waited.

And waited.

And _waited._

" _Hello, you've reached the phone of Kise Ryouta. I'm away for the moment, but please leave a message or call back!"_

 _What is this?_

Kise never failed to answer his phone. None of the miracles, apart from his wayward pupils dared to anymore. Even if they were 'busy'.

He dialed again. And again. And _again-_

" _Moshi moshi? Look, I'm not sure who this is, but Kise's at practice right now, and he isn't getting off answering the phone anymore this week-"_

"I apologize for the _interruption_ , but I _must_ speak to Ryouta. It's more important than his practice right now." This must be Kise's new _Captain,_ an interesting boy to be sure- already so full of his own importance, and not thinking twice about talking over his betters.

" _Did something happen to his family? An emergency or something? Who died?"_

He barely managed to contain his sigh of aggravation, wishing hopelessly that idiots would one day stop asking stupid questions. "No one is dead. He has information about a couple of people I've been looking for for some time, and it simply cannot wait. Please hand the phone over to him."

There was a short silence- punctuated only by the vague whisperings that carried over the phone line- before there was a bright " _Captain! What're you up to? Don't you have practice right now? Kasamatsu-taicho is glaring at me- it's scary! He really doesn't like me using the phone at_ all _anymore which totally isn't fair, I didn't_ mean _to cause a scene that one time, and it_ totally _wasn't my fault but Captain said-"_

He tapped his foot impatiently as Ryouta continued to chatter loudly, getting farther and farther into some story about how the team's captain had threatened to break his phone if it went off in the gym again before finally having enough. "Ryouta."

Sudden silence on the other side of the phone. " _Yes Captain?"_

Still obedient- good. He'd know his current captain was a problem, how much of one he hadn't realized. He'd have to look into that. "You've had contact with Kuroko and Hinata recently."

" _Oh, no not really. I mean- they changed their numbers after middle school. They don't connect to anything anymore."_

A deflection. Odd- Ryouta didn't normally bother with such things. "I'm aware. I am also aware that you most likely visited them at their new school. Which they attend _together._ Where is it?"

" _O-oh… um, I don't-"_

Deflection and then _reluctance?_ Something was most definitely wrong. "Where is it Ryouta?"

" _I-I… I don't-"_

"Don't _lie_ to me, Ryouta- I know for a fact that you are fully aware-" Was his voice rising in volume? No, it couldn't be. He was always calm and controlled. Even when his team members _misbehaved-_

" _Hey, so it sounds like this isn't as important as I thought it was. No missing people, just a weird friend being creepy so- Kise's gunna come back to practice now- Don't call again, got that? He has more important things to do than your dirty work. If these boys don't want to talk to you, you just gotta live with that."_ Without even so much as a goodbye, the captain _-Kasamatsu-_ took the phone from Kise and hung up.

Annoyance at the rudeness of the gesture warred with the subtle stirrings of anger as he realized that Ryouta hadn't even _tried_ to get the phone back, or hold on to it in the first place. He had _let_ his new captain take his phone and keep Akashi from talking to him.

 _Well well well. Looks like Hinata and Kuroko aren't the only ones rebelling after all._

No matter. Such small freedoms could be easily rescinded, and correcting one would lead to being able to correct the other, larger, offense. All three boys would be back in line soon, reminded of who was the Captain, and who was the Player.

 _First practice. And then it seems that I owe Ryouta a visit in person._

 _We have a lot to talk about._

* * *

 **There you have it! We'll be a bit quicker about the next chapter, promise (sheepish grin). Also, we've started putting this story up on AO3! If you like that better be sure to check it out, as we'll be putting up chapters there weekly.**

 _ **Really, we promise. This chapter is one of the huge turning points of the story (everything is about to get REALLY EXCITING here shortly) and we wanted to make sure we did it right, all the while being burned out by life and slightly tired of reworking the story so hard. The next one will be much easier, as is honestly mostly written, but we all know editing takes the most time out of everything.**_

 **Huge, HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed on this story! There were so many great reviews, and I don't have the time or energy to respond to them all, but huge shoutout and lots of love to you all!**

 **Last but not least, we still have 2 open slots for our snippet writing contest (Raph wants to write them together, so apologies to those who got there early, they are not written yet *sweatdrop) so be sure to check out the Forum "It's our play now"!**

 **Lava you all!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **Mikey and** _ **Raph**_

 **Writing in Tandem**


	15. New places New faces

**Hey guys! We're back!**

 **We're alive- figuratively speaking, because I'm practically drowning in schoolwork, and Raph is dying via workload. But we still managed to get this chapter thrown together in time for our birthday!**

 _ **Slaved over it really- we've put off school work and sleep for this monster. This fic has eaten our very souls at this point, but we're happy to be able to share it with you. I am stupid enough to kill myself with working graveyards, do school and be on the colorguard team all at the same time (giving myself a concussion yesterday, yeah that's right I helped write this chapter concussed, no one can say we're not dedicated) because this fic means a lot to Mikey and I - and to all of you.**_

 **That's right, it's been a year since we put out chapter one of this fic! It honestly feels like so much longer, but you guys are honestly awesome for sticking with us this long. And honestly, this was the chapter that I wanted to get to when we first started writing. This was originally the climax of the story. (It's not anymore obviously, because there's so much left to this story) but we hope you enjoy it as much as we did writing it! It took a bit of extra time to make sure we got it just right, so enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: No owny anything but writing with the four hands we have between us.**

* * *

Bemused, Hinata surveyed his surroundings. The cold trickle of sweat down his back was a wet reminder of the passage of time.

He'd gotten lost. That much was painfully obvious by the lack of screaming setter by his side, no main road, and run down buildings as far as the eye could see.

Man, he could just hear Tsu-kun's deadpan. ' _You sure you don't need a map, Sho-kun?_ '

Hinata rolled his eyes, striding forward, wiping his lip on his sleeve. _You weren't really lost until you couldn't find your way back. Right?  
_  
Still, a glance at the buildings, chain link fence, and weeds overtaking the concrete told him that he was _really_ off the beaten path. Choosing a direction at random, he instantly brightened when he caught sight of a huddled form.

"Oi!" he called, grin spreading across his face. _Kuroko waited for me!_

He shouldn't have been surprised, really. Kuroko was a lazy bum- every time they got lost he'd sit somewhere until Hinata found his way around. Or find his own way and look innocent every time Hinata ran across him, sweaty and tired, giving him that patent 'you said you knew your way' stare.

His train of thought and steps stopped in their tracks when the figure turned around.

That . . . wasn't Tsu-kun.

Blond hair was streaked with black, instead of the trademark blue he was used to looking out for, shoulders hunched in in a way that made him want to scream at them to sit up straight.

But the guy was staring at him now, body tensed like he was going to take off running at any second and Hinata still needed directions and-

"Do you happen to know the way back to the main road?" He asked, words tripping over themselves in an effort to get out before the guy fled. "I got lost."

If anything, this made the teen hunch lower, face turning back to his phone, blond hair covering his eyes. "No, I . . . I got lost too."

His heart dropped. Dang.

He could've left then- could've started running around to search for wherever Kageyama had run off to. But the guy was still sitting there, head twitching in his direction every couple seconds like he was afraid of being left alone or attacked, and-

"So what's your name?"

The teen flinched, whipping around with wide eyes, and Hinata scrambled back a couple steps. "Sorry, I… didn't mean to startle you."

"It's . . . fine." The teen said, shifting a bit further away from him until he was practically falling off the cement barrier. Cautiously, Hinata leaned against the chain link fence, keeping on eye on the road in case anyone came by.

"My name's Hinata Shoyo," He introduced, keeping his hands in plain view and tone soft. "What's yours?"

Catlike eyes flickered in his direction before focusing on the phone once more, shoulders still turned away from him. "Kenma," he murmured, glancing at him again- like he was gauging his reaction. "Kenma Kozume."

 _Kenma._

Well at least he'd gotten the teen's name. Now he just had to continue making conversation until someone came by for either of them.

"Do you play?" He asked, bouncing on his toes. Kenma blinked at him, looking up slightly from where he'd curled around his phone. Hinata let his eyes scan Kenma's form again, watching as he typed rapidly, never taking his eyes off Hinata's.

Kenma seemed timid, but the cautious eyes and jacket and sweatpants indicated some sort of sport, the oh so familiar Kuroko brand shoes only reinforcing the idea. But since he couldn't be much taller than Hinata- "Volleyball, I mean."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. He guessed Kenma _might_ play basketball, he had at that height after all, but he'd also been a Miracle.

The thought still stung.

"Yeah," Kenma said slowly, brow furrowing. "How did you know?"

He shrugged, motion a bit tense, and he gestured at Kenma's bag. "I noticed your shoes. They're . . . my friend's parent's brand."

Kenma's eyebrows shot up. "You're friends with a _Kuroko?_ " he asked, tone incredulous. Hinata couldn't help a laugh at that.

"Yeah- we're best friends. He doesn't talk with his parents all that much. Though, I don't really blame him," Hinata said, folding his arms and scrunching his nose in distaste. "They're jerks."

And they were. He'd been present once when Tsu-kun's parents had called. It had been . . . enlightening.

" _Are you sure about joining the volleyball club? I know how much_ basketball _used to take away your time from your studies,"_

" _We're just trying to do what's in your best interests,"_

" _You're going to be taking over the company someday, you don't have time to be playing children's games."_

Hinata's ire had risen with every business-like dismissal of Kuroko's hobbies. It was like they didn't even _care_ that Kuroko had made enormous strides in volleyball. It was all about how he was squandering his time and should be preparing to take over the business instead.

Hinata had to hold back a snort. They didn't know how amazing Tsu-kun was. How hardworking. How loyal.

If they'd been able to see the result of their harsh words-

Well. There was a reason Hinata had a low opinion of them.

He shook himself out of his ruminations, catching the careful, watchful look Kenma was giving him, gaze eerily similar to Akashi's with the tense frame, catlike eyes, piercing look like he was dissecting him and found him wanting-

"So," He said, searching quickly for a safe topic. "So what position do you play?" He asked, forcing a smile. "I'm a first year, me and Tsu-kun just switched to volleyball. He's training to be a libero, but we already have on so he doesn't get to play a lot and just kinda plays whatever position he can. I want to be the ace," he babbled, hands moving quickly as he tried to explain. "Kageyama says I'm a better decoy though, which is great cuz then other people can spike too, and-"

He was babbling, he realized, and paused when Kenma started tapping keys furiously, looking overwhelmed. Instantly he fell silent, smile slipping off his face and sinking into his toes.

"Sorry," He murmured, squatting down and curling his arms around his knees. He caught sight of a cat poking its head out from behind Kenma and reached out a couple fingers to gesture it towards him.. "My team tells me I'm too loud a lot."

 _Like, every time me and Kageyama get into an argument._ He snorted.

"Don't worry about it," Kenma replied slowly, shoulders shifting towards him, brow furrowed in thought, and Hinata's gaze slammed back to the cat as he recognized the 'you did something suspicious and now I'm trying to figure it out' look. "I'm used to loud people."

Hinata's lips twitched bitterly. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's always comfortable to deal with them." He said. _I hated Aomine half the time because he didn't know when to shut up._ "Here kitty," He said softly, twitching his fingers back and forth across the cement. The tabby's eyes followed them excitedly, tail twitching in time with every movement. The motion drew a soft grin from him.

"I'm a second year." The reply came suddenly, and he looked up, surprised that the teen had not only remembered his question but deemed it important enough to answer. Kenma was staring at him, eyes wary.

 _Oh._ He was just as uncomfortable, just as cautious as Hinata was. He made an effort to relax, open up a bit more, try to make Kenma feel more at ease.

"I play setter," Kenma continued, gaze still fixed on him. The cat meowed, inching closer to his hand, and Hinata smiled, wiggling them again.

"My friend plays that position too," he offered, stilling his fingers as the tabby sniffled them curiously before evidently deciding he was alright and butting its head against his hand. He huffed a laugh.

"Kuroko?" Kenma asked, lowering his phone all the way into his lap, ignoring the incoming messages on his screen. _Success._

"Nah." Hinata said, shifting from his squat into a more comfortable cross legged position, figuring he'd be there a while. It didn't seem like this area got a lot of traffic. The cat carefully put a paw on his leg, enjoying his attention. "Kuroko's our libero in training. Kageyama's the setter- though he's a bit more . . . _intense_ when it comes to volleyball." He grinned.

"I've never heard of a Kuroko playing volleyball," Kenma said bluntly.

Hinata grimaced, shoulders hunching forward a little, and he focused on the fur under his fingertips, the purr rumbling through his skin. "Yeah, well. He's . . . easy to miss on the best of days."

A complete misdirection from what he actually meant to say- that they hadn't been playing volleyball for long enough to really be noticed. That Kuroko would probably never _be_ noticed on the court, what with his misdirection the way it was. But still, it was a relief that Kenma didn't recognize him from Teiko.

Though- he jerked around, blinking in the sight of Kenma again. Now that he was looking for it, it was obvious. He shot to his feet, the cat falling to the ground with a yelp, but he couldn't be bothered. "Wait you're from-!"

" _There_ you are!" A strident voice came, making them both jump. Another person in a matching jersey was coming towards them, looking rather harried. "Why haven't you been replying to my messages? I've been looking _everywhere_. Come on, we got to go before-"

"Hinata!" Sugawara's voice called out in relief, and he jumped before turning to face the setter. "Man, I've been looking all over for you," he panted. "Did you lose Kageyama?"

"Yeah," He mumbled, eyes flickering to the side in time to catch the newcomer dragging Kenma by his collar towards the corner.

"See you later," Kenma called, interrupting the newcomer and looking back at him with cat eyes glinting.

Hinata blinked, raising a hand in farewell. ' _See you later'… yeah, I guess I will._

* * *

Nishinoya had forgotten what it was like to be back with the team again.

"And so I was like 'I still like playing with you! I just can't come every day!' and she was like-"

There was a camaraderie that came with being together, even on something as simple as a run. It was exhilarating, beyond just the wind rushing in his ears and exertion and burn of muscles. He hadn't felt this way back when he was suspended- which meant it was the _team_ that brought this feeling of warmth, not just volleyball. He grinned.

Asahi was trying not to laugh at Noya's (admittedly exaggerated) story.

"'She' being that cute girl from the girl's club?" Asahi teased.

Nishinoya swatted his friend's arm, rolling his eyes so hard he nearly clipped his elbow on a brick. "Not _that_ one! She's got the hots for Daichi."

Asahi hummed in acknowledgement and amusement.

Nishinoya lapsed back into silence with a grin as Asahi glanced at his watch to check his pace. It'd been a while since he'd done a long run, and it seemed like him and Asahi both were trying to make up for lost time.

Noya in more ways than one.

It was why he had decided to run next to Asahi rather than compete with Hinata and Kageyama for first place. It had only been a couple months since he'd gotten suspended and lost contact with the team and Asahi both, but he'd felt the loss of his best friend keenly.

He was only grateful Kuroko had come around to get their heads on straight.

 _Speaking of-_ he thought, grin spreading as he turned to start running backwards, eyes scanning the group behind them for his kohai. _I still owe him an ice cream for completing those extra diving receives._ Seriously, the kid was almost a harder worker than _Noya_ , and he wasn't a slacker.

"Hey Narita," He called, when he didn't immediately catch sight of the trademark blue hair. "Kuroko with you?"

Nishinoya and Asahi only been back in the club for a short time- it wasn't surprising they couldn't keep tabs on Kuroko as easily.

But the second years, who had been around for weeks, were looking around, eyes widening in shock, and he felt his heart drop. Not waiting for the answer, _-seriously, how did they not notice Kuroko wasn't with them anymore?!-_ he turned and started _running_.

"Daichi!" He yelled, arms pumping faster than they'd ever gone, feet _flying_ over the pavement in a dead out sprint. The third year turned with wide eyes, Suga right beside him. "We- lost-Kuroko," He panted, heart hammering away in his chest. It was beating faster than it probably should've been after his short sprint, but he couldn't really bring himself to care.

Daichi's eyes sharpened, and desperate glance at Sugawara bringing about a nod, and the setter started a quicker pace even as Daichi slowed. "When did you notice he disappeared?" Daichi asked instantly, turning to face him. Noya shook his head, hands coming down to rest on his knees as he worked on taking in air.

"Don't- know. He was running with- Narita and the others." He said, gesturing behind them where the rest of the team was starting to catch up, brows furrowing at the sight of them stopped in the middle of the road.

"We taking a break?" Tanaka asked as he approached with his loping gait, giant grin on his face. Nishinoya's teeth ground, and his fists clenched in his shorts. He straightened stiffly, Asahi coming to stand by his shoulder hesitantly.

"Kuroko got left behind," Nishinoya snapped, the team's heads snapping to him. "He could be passed out as we speak, or- or run over by a _car_ , or-" he choked, the possibilities flashing through his mind faster than he could speak.

"Calm _down_ , Noya," Asahi murmured, planting a hand on his shoulder. Anchoring him. He breathed deeply, trying to clamp down on the unexpected rage, the _fear._

 _Get a grip, Yuu._

He was trying- but somehow the thought of Kuroko sitting somewhere, knowing he'd been left behind - _again!-_ made him want to punch something until the fear went away.

Because Kuroko was looked over at every turn, and now they were in _Tokyo_ , the very place where most of _them_ were located, and if anything had happened to him because Nishinoya hadn't been paying enough attention-

His breath caught in his throat, and he slammed his eyes shut, focusing on the hand on his shoulder.

"We should've been keeping an eye out for him," Chikara said dismally. "We were the ones closest to him."

 _Yeah, you should've._

"There's nothing we can do about that now," Daichi said softly to Chikara before directing his attention to the team. "Right now we need to find him. Try to retrace our steps and then fan out from there. He could've gotten lost anywhere, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled."

"Right!" The team chorused, voiced firm, and then instantly began pairing off, some starting the jog back where they'd come from.

"Noya," Daichi said softly, and he opened his eyes to stare blankly at the captain who'd crouched down to stare him worriedly in the face. "You doing alright?"

He blinked, barking a laugh. Was _he_ doing alright? He wasn't the one lost, abandoned on the road because no one cared enough to make sure he was still beside them.

"Fine," He said instead, shrugging off Asahi's hand. "Let's go," he said, turning to Asahi, who looked just as concerned. Irritation flared when Daichi caught his arm.

"Hey. You did good- you noticed he was gone before the rest of us did."

Noya scoffed. "You think that's a compliment?" He asked acidicly. Silence reigned, and he took the time to calm the shaking in his frame. "He could've been gone for half the run," Noya murmured, "and we wouldn't have known any different."

He turned, facing Daichi straight on, and for once didn't feel the height difference. "It shouldn't matter if he's invisible or not. He's part of our team, and we need to be looking out for him."

The road was empty now except for them, and Noya sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I dunno about you, Daichi, but if he suffers because of I wasn't paying enough attention . . . I dunno if I'd be able to forgive myself."

* * *

The silence was suffocating.

He'd always hated the silence. He'd walk around the mansion in socked feet as he tried to avoid making any noise, feeling like if he broke the silence his mother would appear as if summoned by the noise.

So yes, he hated silence.

But that didn't mean he knew what to say, either.

Kuroko couldn't meet his old teammate's eyes for more than a few milliseconds. What was worse, though, was the way his legs wouldn't take even one step away from his former partner.

 _Why can't I just walk away?_ He thought bitterly.

' _I dunno, maybe because your legs are asleep and you're just getting over a panic attack?'_ Hinata snarked in the back of his mind, rolling his eyes at him.

"So . . . what are you doing here?" Aomine asked, voice gruff and looking _extremely_ uncomfortable. He was avoiding Kuroko's gaze by any means necessary, rubbing his neck as he looked out at the road. He breathed in deeply, consciously dropping his shoulders from the hunched position they'd taken. Even Aomine could read body language- he had to close off the emotions he was just learning to show.

He wished Hinata were here.

"I'm at a training camp," Kuroko answered, words carefully impersonal. He didn't have anything against his old teammate - _That's_ such _a lie Tsu-kun-_ , but he didn't particularly care about him either. He'd treat him just like an acquaintance he'd met on the street. Aloof. Uncaring.

It would be just like Aomine had treated him those last months of middle school.

His response seemed to spark he Ace's interest, though, and when his gaze slammed back to Kuroko, he involuntarily twitched away from the motion.

"You joined the basketball team?"

Kuroko had to work not to gawk at his old partner. _Not a_ _ **chance,**_ he thought incredulously. The vehemence of it shocked him, because not a couple weeks ago he'd been wavering over taking a basketball flyer. Now he wanted to laugh in Aomine's face at the prospect.

"What school? We could set up a match." Aomine said, eyes locked with his and burning with a fire that hadn't been there since-

He looked down the street, glaring at the green pedestrian light that seemed to mock him.

"Does it matter?" He said, and he had to try a bit harder to keep his tone impersonal now. His brain was fuzzy, and he wanted to sleep for years until the pang in his heart went away. "You never care who your opponents are, after all," He said.

"Wha-?" Aomine said, sounding genuinely confused, and Kuroko's gaze snapped back to him.

"'The only one who can beat me is me'," Kuroko quoted, hands fisting, and Aomine's eyes widened. "Those were your exact words, Aomine-kun. So tell me, why does my school matter to you so much?"

 _Say I'm different. I dare you._ Aomine had been the one to talk him into not giving up on basketball. Looking at him now, Kuroko couldn't help but wonder where his old Light had gone. All he could see was an arrogant teen who didn't know when to quit.

Aomine opened and closed his mouth, seemingly lost for words. Kuroko sighed, dropping his shoulders again and turning away. Why was he even having this conversation? Aomine wouldn't apologize, wouldn't have a 180 in personality because Kuroko showed up. He didn't have to stay. He could pick a road, just start running. He'd run into the team eventually.

"What . . . _happened_ to you?" Aomine sounded choked.

He inhaled sharply, feet freezing to the concrete he'd been ready to abandon. "Why-" Why would he ask that? Why _now?_ Aomine didn't care one whit about his feelings, that was plain and clear. He only cared about winning and playing basketball-

 _Aomine's arm looping around his back, holding him upright. Words of support just as he wanted to quit. Brutal drills with popsicles after. Games where he went completely ignored except for a fist bump at the end-_ _ **I don't remember how to catch your passes-**_

No. He wasn't doing this anymore.

He made it a single step before Aomine caught his arm, yelling at him in what could only be panic. "Hey!"

 _No no no-_

Kuroko had put up a good front, but he was still just getting over a panic attack, his legs had fallen asleep from being curled up in a ball, and he'd cooled down too quickly again.

He collapsed against the wall.

He grit his teeth, blinking furiously at the spots that were filling his vision. The giant hand had let go - **good-** though with a softer "Tetsu?" it was working its way onto his shoulder. He shoved at it with all the strength he could muster, trying to get the trembling under control.

"Get _off_ ," He gasped, not even waiting for a response before pushing to his feet. He didn't even make it _one step_ before he was falling again, but this time would hurt worse, this time there was a wall there, and a pair of hands grabbed him _again._

"Stop it," Kuroko spat. He didn't care about the venom lacing his voice. He wanted Aomine _gone_ , couldn't the idiot realize that? He didn't want him intruding in his life, he was very happy where he was, he didn't need his help or **pity** or-

"Tetsu- Tetsu, stop. I'm just trying to help." The voice sounded almost desperate now, and that was enough to bring his head up from where he had scrunched it in his chest. Aomine was bracing him against the wall he had been about to run face-first into, having turned him around in time to spare a concussion.

It was the look in his eyes that broke Kuroko out of his anger, though, because he could swear he saw a flicker of _hurt_ there. It didn't even register that he might've been saying all of those things _out loud_ because he just really didn't care anymore.

His body slumped against the wall, strength gone, and he was vaguely relieved when Aomine slowly retreated, letting him drop to the ground.

"What do you _want_ , Aomine?" No suffix, desperation audible in his voice, but he was too tired to care. He was exhausted of hiding his feelings just to spare somebody else's. He was _tired_ of caring what the Miracles thought, and he just wanted to escape from the _hurt for just a couple secondsyearsdecades_ was that too much to ask?

"I-" Aomine started, looking smaller than Kuroko'd ever seen him, but he would never find out what Aomine really wanted, because at that moment, a very loud and very angry voice came charging in their direction.

"Kuroko!"

He couldn't help it. All the tension seemed to fade from his body in one breath, and for the first time since Aomine had arrived he felt like he could breathe.

"Nishinoya-senpai," he breathed, lips curling upward in a small relieved smile, eyes drifting closed.

"You idiot, who are you?! What did you do to our first-year? I'm gonna kill you!"

Nishinoya-senpai's voice was different from the normal loud-lecture voice he employed often. There was honest anger to it, along with a slight edge of panic.

It took more effort than he expected to raise his head. Nishinoya-senpai was up in Aomine's face, having pushed him a good few feet away from where Kuroko was sitting, fists clenched in his shirt. Noya-senpai might be short, but in this moment he seemed bigger than any basketball player he'd ever seen.

"Nishinoya-senpai," He repeated again, audible this time. Because this really wasn't necessary.

The result was instantaneous. Noya-senpai's head whipped around, eyes scouring his frame.

"Did he hurt you?" He commanded, and Kuroko had to pause before he shook his head.

Because yes, Aomine had hurt him. He had carved wounds into Kuroko that would take years to heal. But he was moving past that, and Aomine's presence here really hadn't done anything to exacerbate that pain. So he shook his head, using the wall to help him find his feet.

Noya-senpai was there, all of a sudden, levering him, arm tight across his back and his other hand guiding Kuroko's arm over his shoulder. The motion made him smile. How apt- Noya-senpai always had other people's backs, no matter the situation.

"Who are you?" The grating tone was back, more anger in it this time. Motion caught the corner of Kuroko's eye and he was stepping backwards into the wall before he could even think.

A hand slapped against Aomine's chest, stopping his motion in his tracks. Kuroko almost didn't recognize the newcomer, with the aura that screamed death around him. It was only the small bun at the back of the head that made him realize Noya-senpai had brought reinforcements.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Asahi commanded softly. It was different from Noya-senpai's loud anger. It was deadly calm, whispering retribution to any who defied it.

"Who the h*** are you people to Tetsu?" Aomine cursed, slapping the hand away angrily but not moving forward.

"Nishinoya Yuu. Kuroko's senpai, and-" He started, and Kuroko's heart nearly jumped in his throat. _Shouldn't have gotten so relaxed-!_

Nishinoya shot him a concerned glance at the choking sound he made. Comprehension seemed to dawn in Noya-senpai's eyes, because he dropped off, sharing a look with Asahi, who nodded.

"Azumane Asahi. And you really don't have a say in who Kuroko-kun associates with," Asahi-senpai stated, tone cold and so very unlike the quiet upperclassman he'd come to know.

Kuroko barely held back a sigh of relief, slumping in Nishinoya's grip once more. It was probably paranoid, but one Miracle knowing what school Hinata and he had to gone was more than enough. They didn't need the door knocked down by irate basketball players. _Especially_ not Aomine.

Who they got the treat of seeing reel back in shock at the accusation. It was only for a moment, though, before he was striding forward again, trying to throw off the arm Asahi had snapped in front of him.

"Of course I can worry about him! You could be gang members or Yakuza or forget about him-"

Noya stiffened under him and instantly spat words back at him. "Like you're any better! You leave him behind in middle school and now come trouncing back into his life preaching about how people should treat him? You make me sick!"

Aomine started backing away in the face of Nishinoya-senpai's ire, even as the Libero flung words like spears. "-do you even have _ANY_ friends left at this point?! I wouldn't be able to _stand_ being around you!"

Kuroko's eyes glazed over, as Noya continued his tirade, head drooping til his chin rested on his neck. _I'm so tired . . ._

"-people like you that destroy good players!"

 _Noya-senpai thinks I'm a good player?_

"- no way I'm letting you drag him down with you-"

 _Too late I've already hit the bottom-_

"Nishinoya," Asahi's voice broke through the fog. "We need to get Kuroko back to the team. They're going to be waiting for us."

 _Yes. Please. Take me back._

"- Not finished with you guys yet, dumba-!"

"Hey! Leave them alone!"

Kuroko's head shot up, eyes blinking out the fuzz to see a new figure charging in, separating Asahi from Aomine, dark glare on his face.

"Kuroo-kun," Kuroko said, shoulders relaxing again as he registered just who'd intervened. Noya's head whipped around and nearly hit him in the face in the libero's surprise.

" _You know him?"_ The words were chorused by the whole group, and Kuroko huffed a laugh.

"Yes. Kuroo-kun and I met earlier. He's a friend. Right?" Kuroko asked, cocking his head at where Kuroo was still holding Aomine's shirt. He blinked.

"Uh. Yeah. Sure, kid."

Aomine gave Kuroo a _look_ , at which Kuroo shrugged like 'what can you do?'.

That was fine. Kuroko didn't have very many friends. He told Noya-senpai so, which had the sad side effect of making Noya-senpai want to punch Aomine again. That wasn't nice. Also he'd lose his perch. Noya-senpai made a good perch. He was just the right height.

"Right, we need to get you back to the inn. You need to sleep. That sound good?" Noya-senpai asked, and Kuroko nodded. Sleep sounded good right now. His nap had gotten interrupted earlier after Aomine had tripped on him. The street was really busy. Kuroo-kun had tripped over him too. Did he normally trip over people?

"Not normally, no. But you're _invisible,_ so I guess you're special, huh gaki?" Kuroo-kun asked, scruffing his hair. Kuroko smiled. He _was_ invisible, but he didn't like it. He was glad Kuroo-kun could tease him about it though. Teasing had gotten easier since he left with Hinata.

A choking sound caught his attention. "You went _with_ Hinata? Does that mean you're going to the same school?"

His brow furrowed. Yes, he and Hinata had gone to the same school. There was something he wasn't supposed to say, though-

"Right, time to go." Nishinoya-senpai said, "Asahi? A little help?" Kuroko blinked as his feet suddenly weren't touching the ground anymore.

It took him a moment to reorient himself and realize he was on Asahi-senpai's back. After a moment, he realized he could not feel his legs so it was probably a good idea that he got a piggyback ride. Had he ever gotten a piggyback ride before? He didn't think so.

"I'll give you all the piggyback rides you want later," Asahi-senpai promised, because he was good like that.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to-!"

"Don't worry about this guy," Kuroo-kun's voice sounded again, over the top of Aomine's cursing. "I'll make sure he doesn't follow you. See you later, Kuroko!" Kuroo called with a laugh.

They were moving then, the cursing getting slowly quieter as they moved farther away.

Kuroko had a great team. He wanted to tell them so.

"I'll tell them, don't worry. Go to sleep, Kuroko."

He remembered no more.

* * *

 _This is ridiculous. Who allows the hallways to get this crowded?_

He supposed it wasn't surprising. Kise's fanbase had only grown as he entered high school after all, so the influx of people lining the hallways towards the gym was really nothing unexpected.

It did mean that he'd have to be more. . . _discrete_ . . . about his words or actions in the next conversation than usual. Other people had a tendency to misunderstand simple statements of fact. Kise was _his,_ despite what his fans might think.

 _If I pulled him from the spotlight-_

-but no that wouldn't do, he ruminated, bypassing a loitering first year with a glare. Kise's absence would be too widely noticed if he forced him to stop modeling. To big a change would cause _questions_ , and questions were simply unacceptable. It meant he'd been _noticed_ -

 _Not that questions will stop me from doing what needs to be done. Ryota needs to be_ reminded _that what he has needn't remain in his possession if I will it otherwise. That alone should make him pliable to my needs._

Which would make his secondary _-primary really, it's much more important-_ goal all the easier to achieve.

He allowed a sliver of a smirk to grace his face for less than a heartbeat as he paused in the doorway to the gym, scanning the court in a way that to most would appear almost lazy.

 _Same problems as always. Lax coach makes for lazy players._

Normally that would have to be rectified as he could not very well allow one of his Miracles to become apathetic in their training.

 _Still,_ he thought, making his way onto the court with little fuss (if you walked like you belonged then you _did_ belong) _as long as he continues to win, I suppose I see no problem in allowing it to continue. It's not as though fixing the problem will make him stronger._

No. Tetsuya and Shoyo were the only ones that relied on hard work to gain the Miracle title. _Their_ disobedience would be dealt with far more harshly. But for now . . .

"Ryota," Akashi called, and play on the court halted in an instant, the basketball falling out of its controlled dribble and rolling to meet his feet as Kise turned to him, curiously pale.

"I believe you and I are overdue for a talk, don't you?"

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! (A wrap filled with angst and whump and crazy people, that is).**

 **A couple of notes for this chappie. One, Kuroko has been discovered to have a low immune system XD It doesn't take much for him to get sick, though this one won't be as bad as last time just because it's mostly just soreness and feeling icky from the panic attack.**

 **Second, I (Mikey) actually suffer panic attacks from time to time, and it leaves your head feeling like it's stuffed with clouds. Hence the slightly loopy Kuroko you got treated to here. If anyone wants warnings next time panic attacks or the like come up, just shoot us a review- we'd be more than happy to accomodate. I know Raph has had to pre-warn me a couple times she recommends a fic because she knows my triggers. We'd be happy to do the same for you if it means you can keep enjoying our story!**

 _ **And that goes for any of them, not just panic attacks. Some crazy things are coming, in this and other spin offs (as always speculate away) and while I know what we write only you know your personal triggers. This fic and all continuations are pretty much DESIGNED to help people understand trauma, so please let us know what you need to be warned of and it will be there.**_

 **Quick shoutout to who left us a LENGTHY REVIEW ON EACH CHAPTER WE LOVE YOU. It was so good to know what we did right and that someone appreciated our story enough to go so in depth. We love each review you give us guys, it's part of what keeps us going!**

 **Fair warning that school is a thing for both Raph and I and while we're looking at our schedules to fit in writing time for when we're both free, college of course comes first. We'll try to warn you if we know we're going to drop off the face of the planet, though!**

 **As always, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! They make our day!**

 **Ja ne!**

 **~Writing inTandem**

 _ **And because We've had a very special birthday- enjoy our first (published, because it's certainly not the first written) song fic courtesy entirely of Raph. No one can say I do not love you, because this was written somewhere around 3 in the morning. It's to the song He Mele No Lilo (from Lilo and Stitch) and the lyrics you see are just a few of the words translated over into english.**_

 **Raph is like the ultimate co-writer for this fic. Most of the written stuff you see has been brainstormed by her and written by me, with the exception (dun dun dun!) of the Akashi portions. Surprise! Also, she writes a bunch of song fics for this and future fics that we have yet to share because SPOILERS. (trust us sometimes we just want to give you guys all the brainstormed stuff because we get really impatient for your reactions.) But yeah! Enjoy the fruits of Raph's labor :3**

* * *

He Mele No Lilo

 _The great arches of rainbows_

They were never supposed to end up friends.

It was had been just a club at first- a way to pass the time in Tokyo while his dad worked on whatever project the company needed his help with this time around, and then by High school he'd be off to the next place, starting over all over again with another new school, new friends and probably a new club.

He wasn't supposed to get attached.

There were six of them, seven including him, and they shone as bright as a rainbow after a storm.

 _Beams of color unraveled_

He wished they'd never become friends in the first place.

He'd known it was a bad idea, even if not for these exact reasons. He'd never had any luck with friends, not since his dad had become a consultant and they'd started moving all over the country. Friends were flakey, two faced, fair weather, lazy, or uninterested in the same things he was. It just kind of was.

Still, in all his years of moving around he'd never had a friendship fall apart quite like this.

He felt… _broken_. Like damaged goods.

Which made him think- what if?

What if- what if it was never his friends who were the problem?

What if it was his own fault?

 _Look at the breaking dawn_

The real beginning started with a piece of paper.

Hinata had been this close to being forever convinced that it really was all his fault after all. Because really, no one had that bad of luck right? It just couldn't be possible.

Turned out he was right. He didn't have bad luck. He had _amazing_ luck.

That was the only thing that could possibly explain Kuroko.

He thought the ghost boy was as upset with him as the rest of the team, after how much he had avoided even being in the same hallway as him during school hours. He'd felt so guilty about the anxiety he could tell his presence was causing the one boy who hadn't played a part in their teams downfall that he stopped going to practice all together. He thought that would be the end of it all, until he went to turn in his resignation.

After that first little smile, the milkshakes left on the desk were like tiny miracles.

 _The flower that never fades in the sun_

Hinata learned quickly that he had misjudged Kuroko from the very beginning.

But when the blue haired boy had first come into the gym with Aomine, silent and presence vanishingly small, he'd been so obviously a 'follower' rather than a 'leader' when it came to friend positions.

So he'd been ready, those short few days between graduation and moving day, to be the one to carry their friendship through high school. He would be the kind of leader Kuroko needed him to be, and not who He had tried to make him into. He was ready. He could do this.

But he'd been wrong.

Kuroko wasn't a follower at all- never really had been. He'd just never been given the chance to shine before to busy making others lights brighter through his very existence, to be bright on his own.

That was going to change, if Hinata had to turn off the very sun to do it.

 _The flower blooms on the mountain_

Starting new wasn't nearly as scary when you weren't alone.

Kuroko-kun coming with him - he's here, he really came, he kept his promise- was the best thing that had happened to him since his Dad told him they were moving to Miyagi at the end of last semester. He'd been able to watch the shadows that had always seemed to cling to Kuroko-kun, forcing him down and even more out of sight than normal, lift one by one and the weight that had drug him down had freed him at long last.

Watching him play again, even if it wasn't the sport they had once loved as a team, was like watching a new day start from the top of his roof.

In basketball, Kuroko had been grounded - silent but powerful. Always present, but never seen or recognized, and never intended to gain either.

In volleyball, Tsu-kun _flew_. He moved to his own beat, played by his own rules, and was his own light for the first time in what was probably his life.

To Hinata, he shone brighter than the sun.

 _Bring forth the King of the bird catchers_

Tsu-kun, Hinata learned, didn't see himself the same Hinata saw him.

"But I don't want a shadow, Tsu-kun!"

Why would he ever want Tsu-kun to go _back_ to the dark he'd worked so hard to drag him out of? Why would he make Tsu-kun sit back, hide his light and his talent, from the world that should stand in awe of the one person they'd probably never truly see?

"I'd rather have a partner instead you know? After all, Volleyball is all about teamwork. Every player is important to winning- they won't be able to ignore you even if they tried!"

The hidden tears had been expected, but the openly shared grin was still pretty new.

He hoped he could make it stay one day. Tsu-nii shone so much brighter when he smiled with his whole heart like that.

 _Cast forth_

And the world deserved to see it. Hinata was going to do whatever it took to make sure he made it there.

After all, the sun belonged to the whole world, not just one person.


	16. Dog Days

_**Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

 _ **Guess who's back! That's right, we're alive!**_

 **Just barely.**

 _ **Gaining back traction on this main storyline was a lot harder than we were expecting. Also, Raph will do what Mikey won't, and make a few excuses, namely school, mental health, and new relationships (which can be both stressful- Raph, and wonderful- Mikey.)**_

 _ **BUT, in spite of those difficulties, we present to you, the next chapter, along with news of a new updating practice that we're gunna do our best to uphold. So there shouldn't be anymore breaks like this last time. Hopefully.**_

 **This is also Raph's big debut chapter! She's been pretty nervous about how you guys will react to her writing, and it took a bit for this chapter to smooth out the rough edges between our two writing styles. Eventually, we seemed to hit a good balance between what's happening with Hinata (Raph's character) and Kuroko (Mikey's).**

 _ **One warning about Hinata (for those of you who haven't found our new tumblr- it's under our name, go check it out) Hinata is HAWAIIAN, and not in a subtle way. Raph has tried very hard to make it realistic and unoffensive, and has the greatest respect for the culture, so please enjoy and if you don't understand (which is fine) there is a dictionary section at the bottom, and she'll be happy to field any questions about his character in the comments or on the tumblr. :3- also because so many people are asking about it: No we did not just come up with this idea, it's been an idea for a while. It was INTENDED to catch you off guard, mostly because the team still doesn't know- and there is a good reason for that. We aren't planning on editing anything previously to make it more obvious, because it was not intended to be, sorry for all the confusion.**_

 **But without any further ado, (because y'all have waited long enough for this chapter) welcome back to It's Your Play Now!**

 **Disclaimer: We are not Hawaiian. Nor do we own KnB or Haikyuu. Also, this has been beta read by Leo (our brother) because guy accuracy.**

* * *

"Honestly you two, next time could you please _stay_ with the group? We go out on a run _together_ for a reason-" It wasn't the first time Suga had asked them this and Hinata didn't expect it to be the last. If they were _lucky_ Suga would decided not to tell Daichi exactly how far they'd gone… and that they hadn't stayed together.

 _When I tell you to do something I expect you to_ _ **follow**_ _, understand?_

Yeah, he was having a _good_ day thanks, he'd rather not mess that up anymore than he already had.

 _He's totally going to tell Daichi…_

"Why'd you have'ta run off like that Kageyama-kun?" He whined, causing the other to give him a dark look.

"You ran off _with me,_ Idiot-" Suga was looking back at them, lips pursed together tightly.

"That's not what I meant!" He swung his fist wide, but it hit Kageyama anyway. "I _meant_ when we were running! You disappeared, and I won! Where did you even go?"

Kageyama stopped rubbing his shoulder, turning instead to splutter at him. "You didn't _win,_ we didn't even end up in the same _place-_ how can you say that you won?"

Suga was definitely laughing now, even if Hinata wasn't to sure what he thought was so funny. Maybe it was Kageyama… "I made a new friend! That means that if anyone won, it was _me!_ I bet you didn't meet anyone cool while _you_ got lost!"

"That's not true! I ran into my cousin and one of his friends, so I _did_ meet someone-"

 _Pfft silly Kage-kun_. "Your cousin doesn't _count_ , it has to be someone _new!"_

Suga had picked up the pace, leading them around another corner, all while staring at his phone screen. They must be close to the others. He looked a little more…worried than Hinata thought he normally did, but maybe he was imagining it?

 _Daichi won't be ..._ _ **that**_ _mad at us, right?_

"I _told you,_ he had a friend with him- who I've never meet until now, so I _did_ meet someone new. So I guess it was a _tie_."

He tried to drag his thoughts back into focus. There was no way both he _and_ Kageyama had met new people on their run. "Oh _yeah?_ What was his name then?"

Kageyama scowled at him as they followed Suga around the corner, and Hinata instantly cast his eyes about for Tsu-kun - _can't believe I left him behind, I hope he's okay-_ as Kageyama opened his mouth to respond.

 _Where is he?_

"Where's Kuroko?"

Kageyama trailed off whatever he'd been saying, as the entire team seemed to collectively flinch away, only Suga and Daichi-taicho meeting his eyes.

 _Not good- where is he?_

Daichi stepped closer to him as the rest of the team continued to avoid eye contact. "He's with Noya and Asahi- they're almost here."

It was both an answer and it _wasn't_. "Did he get tired? He has a hard time sometimes on the long distances- he has to take it slower the farther he goes… were they waiting with him while he recovered?"

 _Why did that make them look_ _ **more**_ _uncomfortable?_

"Not… exactly." Daichi wasn't looking at him anymore either, rubbing the back of his neck and staring off into the distance. Hinata felt Kageyama move a bit closer behind him, but didn't bother to think about why. "Noya noticed that he'd fallen behind… by the time he noticed though, we well-"

"You lost him." Kageyama's voice in his ear would have normally made him jump, but he was too busy freezing in horror to do so now. "That's why some of the others aren't here, right? You had to go looking for him like you did for us."

Daichi nodded. He might have said something past that, but Hinata could no longer hear him.

 _Lost._

Hinata (despite popular opinion in middle school) wasn't stupid. He'd been with them long enough to know that the team _cared_ about Kuroko and him, enough at least to not leave Kuroko behind on a run on _purpose_.

Which meant that it had happened on _accident._

There was only one way to lose Kuroko on accident. And the team couldn't really help the fact that Kuroko was practically invisible to the untrained eye.

 _This is my fault._

The others moved around him, still talking, filling Kageyama and Suga in on everything that had happened. He didn't listen. They all gave him a wide berth, and honestly he couldn't blame them.

 _I screwed up._

He'd had a responsibility, and he hadn't seen it through. He'd left before he could even get a chance to see how Kuroko was feeling, if he'd even be able to make it through _half_ the run they normally did.

 _I need to apologize._

He wouldn't be _like_ the others- he **wouldn't.** He owned up to his mistakes. He _apologized_ when he did something wrong.

 _Except for the one time you didn't. You still haven't._

He shook the thought loose, turning back to the road everyone seemed to be watching. Where Kuroko would be coming from. He wouldn't wait for him here- the second he came into view he was going to _him_ , apologizing properly, the way he'd be taught after they moved here. The way Kuroko deserved.

"They're almost here. We should head back to the hotel afterwards, everyone else is back, and we could use the showers-"

 _Almost here-_ He waited, tense. _High-strung_ , his mom would say.

Two figures came around the corner. Neither one was Kuroko. _It can't be…_

He moved to sprint, only for a hand to fall heavily on his shoulder. Jerking around, Daichi stared back at him calmly. "He's with them, don't worry. Apparently he got too tired to walk, so he's giving him a ride on his back. They'll be over here in just a minute."

 _Don't run off again-_ the motion seemed to say. He didn't trust himself to nod, and Daichi didn't remove his hand until the two had pulled level with the rest of the team.

The rest of the team swarmed them, almost before he could even catch a glimpse of Kuroko seemingly passed out on Asahi's back. Tension almost choked him as his friend - _brother-_ disappeared from view, and only eased when Kageyama grabbed his arm and pushed his way through to the middle with a loud, "Excuse me!"

Taking in Kuroko's sweat soaked shirt, the lines of tension on his forehead, and his discomforted expression told him all he needed to know, even if it made his heart drop into his shoes. "He had a panic attack, didn't he?"

Noya and Asahi shared a look, before Noya nodded at him. "We think so- he was pretty out of it when we finally found him, but…"

But panic attack symptoms were easy to spot, especially after they'd convinced him to make a list of them after Kise's disastrous visit.

 _Looks like that paid off at least._

More looks and words were being passed over his head, but his brain was done translating Japanese for now. All he could do was take in Kuroko's sleeping face - _not peaceful, but not in pain-_ and run over his apology again and again in his head.

 _I'm sorry, I won't do it again, please forgive me. I'm sorry-_

* * *

His brain felt foggy again. Kuroko wondered what on Earth he'd done this time to make waking up _this_ terrible.

Groaning softly, he pressed himself further into the pillow, hoping to drive away the headache. He could go back to sleep, and hopefully wake up with a bit more recollection about what had happened.

Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

"Kuroko? You awake?"

Or not.

He opened an eye a crack, blinking a couple times to adjust to the sudden lighting. He had to lower his head a little to see Nishinoya's face. Which- was wrong on some level because Noya-senpai wasn't _that_ short.

"Hey bud," Nishinoya grinned, but something was off about it, it wasn't the cheek breaking one he was used to- "Ride's over, you gotta get down now."

He blinked again, this time in question, only to find that the headache eased a bit with the lack of light, and it only took a couple breaths for him to start dozing off. The poke to his cheek was unwelcome and _irritating_.

"C'mon, Kuroko, Asahi's gotta take a bath." The voice was worried, now. "We can set you up with your futon, ok? You can sleep as much as you want."

Kuroko's bed was shifting from side to side now, and the slightly pleading tone in Nishinoya's voice grated on his ears. There was something _wrong_ , he could feel it, he was close to snapping and _didn't know why._

He just wanted to stop _feeling_ so much for a minute. His arms tensed as they tried to pull into his chest, but were stopped before they could ever get there-

"Kuroko?" A different voice vibrated through his cheek, one that was equally as worried, but even more nervous. There was a reason they were nervous. He _knew_ the reason they were nervous, but couldn't remember-

 _Aomine._

The name, the memories hit him like a truck. Running, panic, calmness, danger-

 _They're still nervous._

The thought had his eyes snapping open, searching his surroundings desperately for the danger, for _Aomine,_ because Noya-senpai was nervous and that meant something.

There was nothing. Just a nondescript room that he vaguely recognized as the hostel the team was staying at. A murmur of voices behind him that said he wasn't alone, but none had the grating tone of his old Light.

No one around him but Nishinoya. Nishinoya and Asahi, who he remembered now had had _fought off Aomine_ for him, who had carried him when his legs wouldn't hold his own weight.

Asahi, whose face he couldn't see, because Kuroko was still clinging onto him like an oversized koala.

A red flush crawled up his neck, and he instinctively shifted away from the Ace, yanking his arms away from Asahi's neck like they'd been burned. _Too close!_

If he had been thinking straight, if he'd had more piggybacks as a child, he might have avoided what happened next.

"...Ow." Kuroko muttered, as both him and Asahi-senpai lay on the floor in varying degrees of pain. Asahi had been all set for Kuroko to slide off his back and onto his futon- except that Kuroko had freaked out. Instead of being treated to a soft landing on his perfectly made futon, he'd gained an 170 pound blanket landing on top of him, with elbows to the stomach as Asahi struggled to his feet.

"I'm so sorry!" Asahi cried, and Kuroko caught the motion of Nishinoya whacking Asahi's arm from his peripheral vision.

"Clumsy off the court as always," Noya sighed dramatically. "We got this _Ace_ , don't worry about it. You go take your bath, we'll stay here and make sure you didn't break my kohai!" Nishinoya said as he pushed Asahi across the room and right out the door.

Kuroko couldn't help the huff of laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. He flipped onto his side, looking to get more comfortable, and was surprised to see Hinata kneeling by his futon, indescribable expression on his face.

Kuroko couldn't do more than open his mouth to ask what was wrong before Hinata was bowing, pressing his forehead to the floor. Kuroko went stiff. _What-?_

"I am _so sorry._ " Hinata said, and Kuroko could only mouth wordlessly as Hinata stayed that way for the full ten seconds required of seiza.

Hinata wasn't Japanese- Kuroko knew this. He'd grown to accept that Hinata would never accept Japanese customs fully, and left it at that. Hinata had done the same for him, after all.

Except.

Except Hinata was _still_ bowing, even when the ten seconds were up, because Kuroko hadn't acknowledged his apology yet.

 _When did Hinata get to be so . . ._

Hinata rose, finally, looking like he'd rather have stayed face down. His eyes were shadowed and turned away from his own, like he couldn't bring himself to look Kuroko in the eye.

" _What are you sorry for?_ " Kuroko mouthed, brow furrowing. Hinata's eyes widened and snapped to his at the croak his efforts elicited.

He hated it.

Kuroko was, unfortunately, familiar with the phenomenon. It happened from time to time, but that didn't mean he had to _like_ it. And there was no Aomine to play interpreter this time.

 _Maybe Hinata . . ._

But his friend was still waiting for an answer. Kuroko forced his lips upward into a smile again, nodding his head in acknowledgement of the apology. Hinata smiled back, shoulders slumping slightly.

Sighing Kuroko let his body relax into the futon. The headache was still there, with spears that seemed determined to dig their way into his brain. _Maybe sleep will help?_

Hinata's breathing was in time with his own- but the calming sound was quickly overshadowed by the noise the others were making around him.

Raising his head a little, he levelled a glare at the room at large, noting that many of them had turned at his motion and were now staring wide eyed at him. _Can you guys be quiet for two seconds?_ Their conversation, normally endearing, was ear-piercing now, and he just wanted the pain to _stop_ and be able to _sleep._

Hinata seemed to catch on to his mental plea, because he glared alongside him, the vehemence of it catching some of their teammates off guard- some jerked back, others picking up and leaving the room entirely, taking their loud conversations with them.

Kuroko sighed in relief, collapsing back down on the pillow and closing his eyes. His nose scrunched, and he groaned, reaching out blindly to grab Hinata and pull him down until the stupid light behind his eyelids disappeared.

Hinata let out a weird, slightly choked sound he hadn't heard before, but Kuroko didn't have the energy to try and identify and catalogue what it meant or what he should do about it. Hinata was there- that was what mattered.

He was asleep before Asahi even came back from the baths.

* * *

It was oddly quiet in the hallways without anyone else around. Not quite scary - _not like the night before-_ more… empty.

He didn't often worry about the small age gap between him and his friend. It normally didn't matter much, at _all_ really, until it came to situations like this. Argue as the others might, he was the oldest first year, which put him first in the lineup for the bath. Kuroko, with his late January birthday, was almost dead last.

Shoyo scuffed his feet along the floor with every step, and tried not to think about the pain that had been in soft blue eyes, his friend too tired to even speak.

Seeing that had hurt more than almost anything else. He'd left Kuroko behind, distracted by his competition with Kageyama, and Kuroko had come back so stressed out he was in _pain._ It was his job to look out for Kuroko. None of the others knew Tsu-kun like he did- didn't know how to check for paleness that came with crushing fatigue, or knew when to slow down so he could get a break without _stopping_ and feeling...less.

Kuroko having to be carried like a limp rag doll had been like a punch to gut. It had left him sick to the point of being unable to eat anything for dinner, with a lump in his throat and a pit in his stomach. His friend sleeping right through the meal, face still turned away from the light when he'd come back, did nothing to make him feel better.

How could he have been excited over some new found friend while Kuroko had been lost and _alone?_ Without anyone around to _see him_ -

Honestly, was he some kind of idiot? Tension shot up his arms, but he barely registered the fact that he'd clenched his hands into fists, couldn't see the door that he'd stopped two feet in front of, didn't pay attention to the voices coming from inside.

All he could think about was that he'd _promised_ himself that he would look after Kuroko, back when he'd agreed to come to Karasuno with him. Promised _Tsu-kun- his friend made brother-_ that they would look after _each other_. How could he have done anything _else_ after he'd seen the darkness in those deadpan eyes all too clearly? Even back when Kuroko had been little more than a _stranger,_ the exhaustion chipped away at him during their summer practices had been obvious.

That hadn't been happening as much the past couple weeks, tired eyes gaining a certain _brightness_ whenever Hinata or someone else from the team was around. The change had given him enough _hope_ (hope that his friend was healing, getting _better)_ that when Kageyama had begun egging him on - _so much like Ao and yet_ _ **not, nothing like him not ever-**_ he hadn't given his actions a second thought.

He'd _forgotten._ Forgotten that they weren't still in middle school, happy and _carefree._ One hand spasmed, gripping the fabric over his heart. It was _wrong_ , he wasn't _like_ those idiot Miracles, he _knew_ what Kuroko was going through, he'd _never_ done what they did-

Except for a single moment, he'd made the exact same mistake they had. He'd _forgotten._

"Ne, Suga," Nishinoya's voice was tense and loud and jerked him out of his self-loathing in an instant. It took him a moment to realize where it had even _come from._ "We need to keep a better eye on Kuroko and Hinata."

There was a beat of silence, and a rustle of what sounded like blankets. "Is this about what happened today?" The gentle voice did little to calm him now heavily beating heart, even if the prompting tone was all Suga. It _almost_ drowned out the _other voices_ still rigging in his ears.

Nishinoya's snappish, "Of course it is-!" chased what little calm he'd managed to gather, and he fought to keep silent, as the _anger_ in the normally cheerful tone cut through him like a knife.

 _How could you-?!_

"Noya," Asahi was speaking now, voice steady but still warning. There was one beat of silence. Two- He tried to breath past his panic even as his mind _raced._

 _-Suga said it was fine, but they didn't_ _ **know**_ _that I left too, they're arguing and it's all_ _ **my fault, again-**_

"I didn't even think about it until we ran into him, but you realize we're in _Tokyo_ , right?" Nishinoya sounded a bit calmer but no less focused than before. There was rustling in the room, and he felt himself shift to match. Was this… _not_ about him leaving the group?

"Yeah, what about it?"

He leaned closer to the door, brow crinkling. Suga sounded almost as confused as he felt, and if Noya answered Suga's question-

"Just how many of those BakaMiracles do you think are around here?" Came Noya's response, and Hinata nearly choked. He hadn't even thought about that before now. They had a run-in with Kise in Miyagi sure, but the blonde had gone out of his way to _make_ that meeting occur.

But that was _then,_ not... here. Not here in Tokyo, where the Miragens had _stayed,_ so they would have the best chance of playing against each other, where they would be _all over the place-_

"What are you saying, Nishinoya?" Sugawara said, voice tight with the same worry that was now clawing at his throat, making it hard to hear past the sudden pounding of his heart in his ears.

"When we found Kuroko, he was curled up against a wall, with one of those freaking _idiots_ -" Nishinoya's voice cut off, seething with anger.

 _No- no it can't be- I can't have messed up_ _ **that badly-!**_

"He had a run in with one of his old teammates," Asahi finished, anger quieter but definitely there. "The big blue one. I didn't catch his name."

 _Thump._

" _Aomine_ ," He hissed, fist quivering in place before flying out again to connect with the wall with a sickening _smack._ There were voices, and motion coming from the room, but he was trembling to much to keep track. "Of _course._ Of course he had to run into _him_ out of _everyone_ ," he said, bringing his fist in front of his face and looking at the bloodied knuckles with unseeing eyes before drawing back for another swing. "Cuz he couldn't just run into- into Midorima-senpai or even _Kise_ , he had to run into the complete and utter _ba-"_

A hand wrapped around his wrist, halting him mid punch. "Hinata?" Sugawara's gentle voice drew his attention upwards, finally pulling together the tattered pieces of his focus onto Asahi and Nishinoya flanking him and then on Daichi, who was coming up the hallway behind them holding a futon and looking bewildered. "Hinata, your _hand_ what-?"

"Aomine," Hinata cursed, tugging on his trapped hand, "used to be Kuroko's b..basketball partner." Suga's hand released his own and he tucked his arms against himself, trying not to wince as his busted knuckles brushed against the rough fabric of his towel. "But then he was just... _different_ , said he didn't- didn't _need_ him anymore, and- ."

His teeth clenched, before looking past Suga's slowly slipping expression to find Nishinoya and Asahi's. "What did that _teme_ say to him?"

Asahi's brow furrowed, shuffling a bit as Hinata turned his no doubt fiery gaze on the nervous third year. "We- we didn't catch much, really. He was upset that Kuroko-kun went to a different school or something..."

"That wasn't it," Nishinoya shot back said, eyes meeting Hinata's own, eyes equally filled with a promise of _retribution_. "He had some kind of problem with us mostly- thought we were untrustworthy or something. He mentioned you as we were leaving, but I'd stopped paying attention at that point."

Normally being the afterthought **again** - _never a part of them, only a miracle when it_ _ **hurts**_ _me-_ would have been enough to send him storming away for a good long run. This time though-

 _Untrustworthy- What like Aomine had been such a_ _ **great friend**_ _to them even_ _ **before**_ _he'd_ abandoned _them-!_

His vision faded to red, and his already tense arms swung easily into another punch at the wall. A gentle hand encircled his wrist again, trying to pulling his hand to a stop, and an arm wrapped around his waist when that wasn't enough. Against his will, his heart slowed to a much gentler space the moment his feet left the floor, Suga pulling him away from the wall and any further violence against it. "Hinata. _Hinata_ , I completely understand, but you need to _calm down."_

Unable to move, feet not even touching the floor, he could do nothing _but_ breath. Soak up Suga's calming presence behind and around him. Feel him nod against his back. Fight a sigh as the other pulled away, as his feet touched the ground again, as all that pent up rage came rushing back. "Good, that's better. I get that you're angry-that we're _all_ angry- and we have every reason to be. But _please_ realize that punching the wall may not be the best thing way to deal with this right now. We have plenty of _pillows_."

"Wha- Suga!" Nishinoya spluttered, staring at the third year in shock. "We can't just _ignore_ the fact that they keep _coming back_! We need to just-" Sugawara held up a hand, eyes hard.

"I know. But are you really sure we can fix it all at once? If we dig all this up all at once, we might just make it worse. Besides, things have been getting better since you two joined the team, right?"

It took him a moment to realize that Suga's question was directed at _him,_ and Hinata turned away awkwardly. He was still so _angry-_ He couldn't bring himself to meet those trusting eyes, eyes that grouped Kuroko and Hinata together as a _pair._ Eyes that didn't have a single clue that he was as guilty as any other _miracle-_

He couldn't take comfort in the lie those eyes were offering him.

"Kuroko's been- he's been getting better, yeah. Being around the team helps him a lot, even if-" He still couldn't look at them, eyes locked onto his clenched fists, pain rushing through his split fingers— _pain I deserve—_

 _They lost him while I wasn't there. Is he really better off here?_

"Then… that should be enough for now." Asahi sounded so _sure_ , scooting forward a little, and Hinata couldn't help but shuffle away in response as the gentle giant got a bit too close to _looming_. "I haven't known him for very long, sure, but even I can see how much he enjoys playing volleyball. Whatever happened in the past can stay there as long as he's happy now."

 _He was happier before…_

The bitter thought burned through him like _lava_ , scalding worse than any anger he might have been harboring. Basketball had been Kuroko's _life_ until that last match. The place he _belonged,_ the place that he felt at _home._

 _Where he felt safe._

Until it was torn away. Taken from him when he wasn't even _there_ to try and hold onto it- taken during that awful, dishonorable match against Meiko— _his at fault, all his fault—_ and kind _forgiving_ Kuroko had left it all behind _for Hinata._ The person responsible for _ruining_ basketball for him.

Who had he been kidding? Kuroko- he might have forgiven him, but Hinata could never forgive _himself_. He wasn't good for Kuroko. Wasn't worthy to call him _ohana-_

 _He should call me hilahila instead-_

Disgust rose from the bitterness like hot steam, and he had to get away before it burst from him, in front of everyone, when their eyes were still filled with love - _undeserved, can't you see I don't deserve it?-_ who would see that he wasn't what they thought. Things they _couldn't_ know, could _never_ know, because no matter how much he hated himself, he would never be able to stand it if those faces turned from love, from _respect,_ to hatred just like the Meiko team had been back then, and the way _Tsu-kun-_

"I need some air," Hinata choked out past the stone lodged in his throat and fled, bumping past Daichi - _forgot he was here, can't even keep track if your own teammates, how could you believe you could keep track of Tsu-_ on his way passed.

Voices rang out in alarm, but the meaning slid past him, until shouts were replaced by the slamming of the door behind him, and the slapping of his shoes on the pavement. He nearly lost one shoe, then another to the wet ground, and growled at how much they slowed him down. Cursing, he flung the useless indoor shoes from his feet, uncaring that they flew into a puddle, and kept running.

He didn't notice the gravel digging into his hardened feet, not until he slipped a bit and felt something tear. It didn't matter. He could handle it, he'd felt worse, _Kuroko_ had felt worse-

The stinging pain of torn feet on dirty wet ground was _nothing_ compared to the horror, the _despair_ on Kuroko's features when the team had gotten off that bus. _Nothing,_ even when compared to the jaw-clenching pain of landing on his sprained ankle again during a practice match at Teiko. Nothing to the sharp horrifying pain when your hand _slipped_ at just the wrong moment and there was no one around to catch sharply spinning _ka pahi ahi_ blades.

It didn't matter. It's not like he didn't deserve that and _worse._

 _Malama Aloha, Shoyo,_ his mother would say. _What you have, you have to care for. You have to protect it. If you don't, who will?_

He hadn't protected Kuroko, even though he'd _promised_ he would. And despite that, despite _everything,_ he still wanted Kuroko, _Tsu-kun_ , as selfish as it was. He _wasn't_ willing to give him up, not to the Miracles,not to the team, not to _anyone_ , no matter what happened.

Thunder cracked over his head, and Hinata stumbled to a halt, his breath harsh and heavy in his ears, the salty tears he hadn't realized he'd been crying driven away as the sky above him opened up, dropping its load directly onto his head.

He probably should have taken the rain as a sign to turn around, to go back- but he didn't want to. The water was soothing, washing away tears and rage alike, leaving him feeling raw and empty.

He lost himself in the cascade of water, following the rain drops in _uwehe_ even if it hurt on his still bleeding feet, yelling into the sky with every crash of thunder. It was almost enough to let him forget why he was out here. To be calm.

 _Ho'oponopono—_ no, he wasn't content. Not right now. But he still _wanted_ to be-

 _I need to make it up to him._

A soft whine broke through his thoughts, turning his attention to the area around him for the first time, as he instantly looked around for the sound.

 _Dang it, I must have lost track of time- when did it get so dark?_ He ducked into the side alley, hoping there would be side lights to illuminate his path, but found nothing but more darkness.

Another whine, louder this time. _Closer._

"Hey there," Hinata said softly, leaning down to peer into the darkest corners—one hand carefully still on the brick, the last thing he needed was to lose where the wall was and step on something _else_ —and a flash of lightning showed him a small dog curled up next to a dumpster, eyes soft and blue and _hurting._

And then the light was gone and Hinata was left with a new ach in his chest, because those were _Kuroko's_ eyes he was seeing. Eye's full of hurt and _help me_ and he wasn't sure if he was seeing things or if the puppy really did have Kuroko's eyes but-

 _You wanted to make it up to him right?_

If there was one thing he _had_ learned over the summer it was that Kuroko loved fluffy things, in all shapes and sizes.

 _This one is just… alive. Right._

Even if the team ended up killing him, the look on Tsu-kun's face was sure to be worth it.

* * *

The first thing Kuroko registered upon waking was that the offending light was gone. The next was that his body was adamantly against spending one more minute sleeping, despite his emotional exhaustion.

He felt _better_ , but there was also that small part of him that wanted to turn over and sleep for another decade, just to escape. He crammed it into a corner of his brain to gather dust again. He wouldn't gain anything by listening to it, and judging by the rising tones of the voices outside, he wouldn't be able to get away with feigning sleep for much longer.

Slipping out from under the blanket someone had draped over him, Kuroko padded to the doorway, hand hesitating on the doorknob as the voices became clearer.

 _That's not what they normally sound like_. Karasuno was loud, but most of the time any irritation in their voices was fake, the playful ribbing of boys that were familiar with each other. Now, though . . .

He opened the door, looking down the hallway to where the noise was coming from. _What are they doing at the front?_ The only time Kuroko had ever needed to visit the front desk was when they'd run out of towels for the baths, but there was no reason for _all_ of them to be there.

His anxiety heightened as he walked towards the source of the noise. _Daichi sounds_ _ **angry**_ _what could've gone wrong?_

 _Besides Aomine coming to pay you a visit?_ The snide voice said in his head, and Kuroko's steps faltered for a moment.

Maybe he shouldn't join the team?

But no. If his old Light decided he had to continue their confrontation from earlier, he would just have to make it clear how much he didn't want to see him right now.

 _Bet that'll throw him for a loop. He never did seem to understand when his presence wasn't wanted._ Not that Kuroko had ever really said outright that Aomine's presence was overbearing- he'd been too desperate for company at that point to risk complaining and pushing one of his only friends away for that.

But he had Hinata now, and all of Karasuno, and even Kuroo, the stranger he'd offered his friendship to on the road. He could deal with losing a friend who'd abandoned him in the first place.

That decided, Kuroko nodded briskly and increased his pace towards the rest of the team. His determination reached its peak as he entered the lobby, taking in the cluster of teammates arguing and gesticulating wildly, Daichi raising his voice as if trying to be heard. For once, Karasuno didn't seem to be listening.

His brow furrowed as no matter how hard he looked he couldn't spot the distinctive shade of black/blue hair. Was. . . Aomine _not_ here? But who else-

"Kuroko!" Nishinoya's voice broke him out of his reverie in time to see the Libero pushing through the other second years, hair and clothes soaking wet- though those were overshadowed by the pure _panic_ in his senpai's gaze. What had _happened?_

He should've known he wouldn't like the answer.

"I swear I didn't mean to- I was just trying to ask Sugawara about everything that happened this afternoon, and I didn't know he was outside listening, he's usually so loud that you can hear him coming a mile away- but he heard and _flipped_ , and the next thing we knew he was running out the door- we went after him, but by the time we did it was pouring rain, and-"

Kuroko thought he was going to throw up. _Can't be who I'm thinking of, he wouldn't leave me after that, not after_ _ **everything that happened**_ -

Not. The. Time.

"Nishinoya, slow down," Kuroko commanded, barely noticing how his words caught the attention of everyone else in the room. "What happened to Shoyo?"

Nishinoya winced, edging a little away from him. Someone else stepped forward, hands extended like they were going to stop Kuroko from decking Noya. "It wasn't really anyone's fault," Sugawara tried to placate, and Kuroko turned to him, a bit of incredulousness leaking into his voice.

"And so, what, I'm supposed to believe Shoyo just up and ran off because of something you said and you _let_ him?" Kuroko demanded, before shaking his head. Getting angry at the team for losing Hinata wouldn't find him any quicker. "I'm going out looking for him."

"We already sent out groups to search," Daichi said, _grinning_ , like he was trying for reassuring. He was failing. Miserably. "You can stay and rest- we have it handled."

"Really?" Kuroko said with a incredulous scoff. "Oh, so I'll just sit here like a good boy, waiting for everyone else to do the work for me." _Wait here for us, Tetsuya, Mommy and Daddy will be home soon, okay?_

"We're just trying to help," Nishinoya said plaintively, and Kuroko was a little sorry that he'd elicited that tone from his new senpai, but this was something that he wouldn't budge on.

"No. _I'm_ trying to help. Shoyo is my best friend, and if you think I'm not going after him then you have another thing coming." Kuroko said, looking around the room, just _daring_ any of them to try and stop him.

"Kuroko," Asahi murmured, "You can trust us with him." Kuroko shook his head.

"If I could trust you with him, he wouldn't be missing in the first place."

And then he was walking forward, a set of familiar footsteps falling into pace behind him. A hand caught his sleeve for a brief moment, but it wasn't until the door that someone tried to block his path.

"You just got better," Daichi said, arms crossed across his chest, frowning down at him. "I'd be a horrible Captain if I let you go outside in this."

 _Let you. Let you. Let you._

 _I won't let you play in this match, Tetsuya._

 _You shouldn't be practicing threes- your energy is better served increasing your passing ability._

Well. "I wasn't asking permission." Kuroko said, brushing past Daichi and through the door. It closed with a bang behind him, and then he was out of the hotel and into the storm.

 _I'm coming, Shoyo._

* * *

 **Hawaiian dictionary (disclaimer, Raph only just started learning Hawaiian, if they're wrong, we're sorry)**

 _ **Ohana**_ **\- family**

 _ **Hilahila**_ **\- disgraced**

 _ **Ka pahi ahi**_ **\- fire knife dancing blades**

 _ **Malama aloha**_ **\- to take care of, to maintain, to protect, loyalty**

 _ **Uwehe**_ **\- rain drops falling into a puddle forming ripples on the surface (hawaiian dance move)**

 _ **Ho'oponopono-**_ **the Hawaiian process of reconciliation and forgiveness**

 _ **Also a plug for those of you who love these characters as much as we do- We'll be posting our first (published) spin off fic of this verse sometime in February, so be on the lookout for that!**_

 _ **Also, we love our new tumblr which includes:**_

 _ **Headcanons every week**_

 _ **Art**_

 _ **Q &A**_

 _ **Snippets**_

 _ **And last but not least Author/Reader interactions!**_

 _ **(Please talk to us, we love you and we get lonely ;3)**_

 **Raph pretty much covered everything that I wanted to say, with the exception of this- y'all keep us so motivated, and we love hearing how much you love this story. It really makes all the effort we put into it worth it, and just seeing how excited you get makes our day! Thanks for y'alls patience with us, and hope to see you soon!**

 _ **Writing in Tandem**_


	17. Chapter 17

Knowing where you are doesn't mean you can't be lost.

Shoyo knew _where_ he was. He was sitting on a soaked curb, feet propped up to try and keep his cuts from getting any _more_ dirty while cuddling a drenched puppy to his chest.

But he _felt_ lost. Adrift, in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. The anger that had burned through him at the hotel was… still there, but not as much. More _muffled_ than before. The cracks of thunder and lighting overhead no longer sounded like war cries he could scream along to.

Now, the rain sounded like tears. Like the very sky was crying out in pain.

 _How are we supposed to move on when everything keeps trying to drag us back_ _ **there?**_

He'd thought coming to Karasuno would make things better, and it _had_. For a while, everything had been _amazing._ They had a captain who really looked after his team, upperclassmen who _cared_ about them enough to come between them and Kise. Everyone playing a game that they loved, their drive to overcome challenges never faltering, even when they made mistakes—

Karasuno had been everything he'd dreamed and _more._

 _So why isn't this getting any better? Why does it feel like I can't trust them?_

He didn't know. He didn't know if it was something wrong with him, with the team, or with the world. He didn't understand, he didn't _like it-_ there was no reason for it, nothing _obvious_ like there had been back at- back in middle school. Sure, they'd lost Kuroko for a bit, but they'd found him again, defended him from Aomine-teme. Shoyo was more upset at _himself_ over the lost Kuroko thing than he was at the _team._

 _So why do I not feel safe going back to the hotel? Why am I so scared to see them again?_

He didn't know, and it just scared him all the more.

 _It's like I don't even know myself anymore._

He'd never been timid growing up. Have never really _understood_ people being shy, even if he'd tried to give them their space anyway. He'd spent the majority of his childhood braving the deepest and farthest parts of the ocean, storm or clear skies notwithstanding. He'd been something of a daredevil, and his cousins had always tried to keep a close eye on him, just in case he tried something that was a little beyond him.

 _Why am I scared at having to_ talk _to them?_

But it wasn't just talking. He shivered at the very idea of standing in front of Daichi and Suga and Asahi and Noya again. At the thought that they might ask _questions,_ that his answers might be found _wanting_.

As he realized his reasons might not be good enough for them.

The puppy hadn't moved in a while. It was still wet, despite Shoyo's best efforts to keep it out of the rain that was still pounding on his neck and back, but it was still warm where it was bundled up under his shirt. It had been easy to scoop the tiny thing up and carry it with him. Most dogs in Tokyo (from his experience) weren't very friendly, but this one was more like the ones back home.

 _Home. Where is home, anyway?_

Once upon a time, he would have answered Oahu without a second thought. The crystal clear water, the trees that seemed to reach into the night sky, like you could reach out and grab a handful of stars from atop their fronds.

 _When did that stop being home?_

He'd lost that surety, somewhere among late bike rides over the mountain with extra weight on the back, five plates instead of four at their tiny low table, the squeak of rubber on wood, the thump of the ball, and the calls of _just one more toss—_

 _Home._

Hinata was very lost.

 _I want to go home._

* * *

 _I didn't grab a coat,_ Kageyama lamented, wading through the rain and trying to keep Kuroko's shadowy figure in sight. The rain made it harder than it really needed to be, but he kept his eyes on his back anyways.

Kageyama wouldn't leave him behind again. Not when he could help it.

 _Now to just get the third member of our group back,_ he thought, sidestepping a particularly large puddle that Kuroko stomped through. Kageyama did take care of his shoes, and did not particularly care for soggy socks. And besides. One of them had to have a cool head, and it was obviously not Kuroko at this moment.

He sighed.

The phone buzzed in his pocket again. He was almost positive it was the team wondering where they were. At this point, he wasn't even ignoring it out of spite. The constant messages were annoying, sure, but he didn't even know what to say.

 _Hey yeah so we're still mad, but we're lost and really wet so can you forgive us and help us find Hinata?_

Not likely.

 _Congrats fools, now three of us are lost and wet?_

Nope, that would send them running back out in the rain again, and seeing them so soon would set Kuroko off again, he was sure.

 _You better hope Kuroko forgives you by the time we get back, cause I'm not being Hinata's leash this time._

Except . . . he had seen the smoldering anger under Kuroko's skin, the way it was yearning for something to lash out at. He didn't want to uncork that on the team, no matter how angry their actions made him. It wasn't the hot flashes of anger his parents would have when he kept them up at night tossing his ball in his room- it was the deep, heart wrenching anger that seemed like it would turn Kuroko into a husk if he let it burn.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, storm moving slowly out of their area. Lightning struck a minute later, illuminating the dark street. Kageyama used the opportunity to reaffirm Kuroko's position in front of him.

The street was empty.

 _No._

His heart hammered slightly in his chest and his legs _moved,_ uncaring of the puddles in his way as he raced forward.

 _Where on Earth has he gone_ _ **now?**_ Tobio thought hysterically, gaze darting from side to side, trying to catch sight of Kuroko's distinctive hair.

He was so frantic he nearly missed the sound of Kuroko's yelling.

"-told you, it's not your fault! I could've run into Aomine at any point while here in Tokyo, and sure it sucked that it happened _today_ and while I was alone, but that doesn't make it _your fault_ that I met him."

Kageyama slowed, putting his hands on his knees to keep himself upright. Safe. Kuroko was safe.

Hinata too, he realized, seeing the spiker on the ground in front of the furious bluenet. He was scrunched up into a ball, cradling something in his arms.

Kageyama watched as Kuroko's shoulders dropped as the fight seemed to ebb. "And that's another thing- Hinata, it's ok that you went ahead. I don't expect you to be next to me 24/7- remember quiet nights? I need space sometimes, so it doesn't bother me that you went running with Kageyama. You were having fun, and it- it makes me _happy_ to see you having fun. So- so don't worry so much, ok?"

Hinata shook, whether from the emotions or the chill Kageyama couldn't tell, before ducking his head and nodding imperceptibly. Kuroko took that as a cue, settling down beside him and stripping himself of his jacket before attempting to share it between the two of them.

Kageyama sighed. A buzz in his pocket.

Mindlessly, he opened it and tapped out a message before putting it on silent. _Found him. Everyone safe. Stop worrying._

He could deal with the team later. He didn't have the energy to handle everyone right this second- and right now it looked like these two needed him more than the team did. Daichi and Suga would be able to keep everyone sane… hopefully.

* * *

The day started _fine._ Nishinoya pulling open the curtains while they were still trying to sleep- annoying, but expected enough that Sugawara had been able to go about his day with little griping.

Then they had lost Hinata and Kageyama. Slightly less expected, given Hinata's propensity to follow Kuroko everywhere he went, but recovery had been relatively simple, give or take a couple unexpected visitors.

Then they had lost Kuroko. Oh jeez had that been a mess. If Hinata and Kageyama had had mostly pleasant encounters, it was completely made up for in the terrible timing of Kuroko's run in with his old partner, leaving them all shaken, tired, and ready for a rest day.

It was going better. Kageyama was annoyed- rightfully so, they should've been keeping a closer eye, but it was aggravating that Kageyama expected _them_ to look after Kuroko when he was the one running off in the first place. Hinata mostly seemed shaken, up until his outburst in the hallway (and _man_ did that kid have an arm on him. Suga thought he might bruise), his hasty exit, and Kuroko's unprecedented speech, at which point everything went downhill.

"-and we need to stay together, we have enough of us running off as is," Daichi was saying, clasping onto Tanaka's arm to keep the second year from dashing after the pair. Their normally calm captain was beginning to look positively frazzled.

"And we're supposed to, what, sit here until they decide to come crawling back?" Tsukishima drawled, though without his usual smug stare. "Those three are more stubborn than Tanaka trying to get a date."

Tanaka bristled, and Suga interceded immediately. "That's not what Daichi meant. We're not just going to stay here and do nothing-"

"And what else are we supposed to do? Call the cops? Their parents? 'Hello, you haven't properly met us yet but we made your son run off into a lightning storm and don't want to go after them, just thought you should know'? What are they going to do, drive down from Miyagi? We're _right here,_ Sugawara- _senpai_ , and they left not ten minutes ago. We should be trying to track them down, not give them more time to get themselves killed."

Suga ground his teeth, ready to dig in his heels and force everyone to just shut up and sit down a minute, but he never got the chance.

Chaos reigned, Nishinoya going from frantic pacing to trying to exit the building, with Asahi holding onto his arm, the both of them arguing- though whether it was over _who_ was going or if they were going at all Suga hadn't a clue. Yamaguchi was desperately trying to calm things down as the hotel staff began to arrive and complain about the noise they were making, while Chikara and Ennoshita were trying to cut through the din with questions.

" **QUIET!"** Daichi roared, and the lobby fell silent. Everyone stared as the Captain heaved slow breaths. Rain pattered against the windows, lightning flashing sudden and bright, a low rumble not far behind.

"We're all going to stay here and wait until the storm lets up before we do _anything._ It's pouring rain, some of us desperately need to get out of our wet clothes, and we've inconvenienced the staff and everyone in this hotel. You're all going _back_ to the room and you're going to _stay_ there until we figure out what to do."

Daichi didn't leave room for questions, staring everyone down and nodding an apology at the staff, who looked offended and slightly annoyed at the brush off. Suga sighed. As much as Daichi had learned to play peacemaker over the years, he still fell back on the tried and true method of getting people to do what he wanted when diplomacy failed.

 _Because you were doing so much better at getting everyone to calm down._

He shook his head, coming up behind Daichi and putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll discuss more after we talk to the Coach. We need to update him on what's going on," He said softer, locking eyes with each team member. Some avoided eye contact, but nodded in assent.

There. Tempers soothed.

Suga pushed slightly on Daichi's shoulder, leading him out of the lobby and into the hallway, leaving the mutterings and rumblings behind them. It quickly grew quiet as they made their way to the teachers' room, muffled rain on the rooftop the only accompaniment to their journey.

"They're just worried," Suga said softly.

Daichi just sighed, footsteps coming to a halt. Suga stayed behind him, studying his hair as he waited for his friend's response.

"And you think I'm not? It's my job to look after them. I didn't lose them once today, Suga, I lost them _twice._ Do you know how that makes me _feel_?"

Suga flinched, closing his eyes. "Helpless. Useless. Irresponsible. Guilty. Inadequate. You're not the only one who failed today, Daichi, and you're not the one holding all the blame. There were some things said on _both_ sides that need addressing. But right now we have three missing team members who need us to actually man up and be the leaders we are. You can start making it up to them by doing your job _now._ " His words were hard, pointed.

Daichi stiffened and then relaxed suddenly, shoulders slumping like Suga had taken a huge weight off of them. "When did you become the pushy one?"

Suga huffed, coming to clap him on the shoulder again, this time friendlier. "Since you stopped listening to the kind one. Alright. C'mon, let's go, we need to actually tell Coach and figure out a battle plan before we have a mutiny on our hands."

* * *

Kuroko wasn't used to being angry.

It wasn't that he had never _felt_ angry before, because he had. But real anger, _true_ anger came once every blue moon, preceded by fault upon fault until he could shoulder it no more, his patience well and truly burnt out.

It had only ever happened once before, and Kuroko was desperately hoping that it wouldn't turn out that way again.

Shoyo shivered next to him, and Kuroko edged closer, knowing his equally soaked body wouldn't do much, but unable to just do _nothing._

 _Can't ignore him, can't let him think his needs are unimportant_

And then suddenly, the pounding of the rain had vanished. His eyes snapped up, locked gazes with _Kageyama_ and the umbrella over them- the light of the convenience store behind him making it clear exactly where he'd gotten it.

"I didn't realize you'd followed me," Kuroko murmured and Kageyama shifted, uncomfortable.

"I thought you might not," he muttered. Then, squaring his shoulders and glancing briefly at Shoyo, who was blinking blankly at him, said: "But I thought— I think you were right. We- we shouldn't leave teammates behind."

Shoyo sniffled— and whined?

No, the noise hadn't come from Shoyo— couldn't have, even as his face looked like he'd been caught sneaking a handful of nuts from the jar on the counter, and his arms wrapped tighter around—

"Your shirt?" Kuroko blurted, baffled. Sho sniffled again, this time glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Then the guilty look was gone and he shifted to face them, sacrificing part of his back to the rain to keep the bundle of cloth under the safety of the umbrella.

"I… He looked like you, all scared and alone, so—" Shoyo stammered, fumbling with the soaked and wriggling bundle, trembling fingers making him clumsy. Kuroko reached to help, but stopped as a tail peaked out. "I don't know how you feel about dogs, but I figured… well if you _do_ take him, he might make your apartment less lonely?"

The shirt finally came free of the _dog,_ which shook out its fur before sneezing. As if by its own accord, his hand reached forward to stroke the puppy's matted ears. "Wh-where did you find him?" His voice was hushed, awed, as he looked up into Sho's brightening eyes.

Eyes that darted away at the question, shoulders hunching slightly. "He was in— in an alleyway, just _abandoned,_ left out in a box. I couldn't— couldn't just leave him there. It's _raining._ "

Kuroko's hand stopped mid stroke, his anger slowly dimming as he considered his best friend. Shoyo, while running away from the hotel, for a still inexplicable reason, had seen an abandoned puppy and his very first thought had been to save it— save it from a fate not unlike Kuroko's— and give it to _him._

His other hand reached out, joining the first in rubbing circles in the puppy's soaked fur. It seemed to enjoy the attention, licking everywhere it could reach, tail wagging so hard Kuroko worried it might sprain it.

"Sho… "

Shoyo merely smiled— and Kuroko couldn't help the responding grin, tiny though it was.

Shuffling behind him drew Shoyo's gaze upwards, to where Kageyama was shifting from foot to foot. His friends stared at each other for a long moment, before Kageyama was turning away awkwardly.

"So… do either of you have any idea why the cashier gave me this umbrella for free?" He asked, looking both bewildered and… embarrassed?

The sudden break in tension from the strange question forced an incredulous huff of laughter out of him, even as he took stock of where they were situated for the first time. The surroundings did look slightly familiar…

"This was our spot," Shoyo murmured, stroking the puppy with an absent expression. "It was the first place… well, it seemed like as good a place as any."

And that's when it clicked in Kuroko's mind. "This was where we caught that purse-snatcher," He realized. How many times had they come here, bought the same treats and popsicles from the cashier that never changed? It seemed like years, but a glance inside the window showed the same man from his memories watching them carefully from behind the counter.

The worried look seemed to sweep the rest of his brittle anger out from under him. No matter what recent events seemed to show him, there were good people in the world. The world was so much larger than their small bubble— it wouldn't collapse simply because his good opinion of a few people had fallen. No matter where he went, there were still those willing to help others, from Shoyo to passing acquaintances.

Kageyama spluttering brought him back to the present. "You caught a _purse-snatcher_? _When_?"

"Not too long after Kuroko got Kise as a kouhai," Shoyo replied with a grimace, passing the puppy off to Kuroko when it started shaking the left over water out of its fur.

"It was that same day, if I remember right," Kuroko confirmed, taking the dog with a small eye roll- just a small one though. Shoyo _was_ still shivering after all. "We were going out for ice cream and ended up with all the starters in one place. It wasn't really hard to pin the guy down."

Kageyama blinked between the two of them, coughed into his sleeve, and shook his head. "I can't believe you seriously— just… _why?_ "

Shoyo shrugged at the same time he did, following it up with a shake not unlike the one the puppy had made moments before, splashing water all over Kuroko's face. His glare went mostly ignored, as Shoyo grinned. "Why _not?_ We were there, he wasn't hard to catch, and we couldn't just do _nothing."_

 _Not like you did, later, sitting on the sidelines, not doing a single thing to stop them as they destroyed_ _ **everything—**_

He tried to shake the thought off, turning his focus back to Shoyo as he fought off accepting Kageyama's coat before being interrupted by a sneeze.

 _I'm doing something now— I did something here. I'm not helpless._

Shoyo needed him— Kageyama had needed him…

The team had _seemed_ like they needed him.

"Are you guys going to sit on the curb all night, or do ya want to come in? I don't really care either way, but you stay out in this much longer you're all going to catch cold."

Kuroko thoughts seemed to freeze, dread pooling in his stomach as he replayed the coughs and sneezes from the others. The cashier was right, but at the same time— Where were they supposed to go? He didn't want to go back to the hotel— couldn't even think about it without feeling the scalding heat crawl up his back, making his face flush all over again at the idea of facing the team, but…

"We have a hotel nearby," Kageyama had turned to the clerk, a smooth tone to his voice Kuroko hadn't heard before. "We could head back, but—" an odd pause, where the setters gaze shifted away to…Shoyo? "It would probably take us a while to get there on foot."

Whatever the clerk's response, Kuroko didn't hear it, turning instead to where Shoyo was huddling in on himself. A moment ago, he would have blamed the cold— now it looked like he was trying to hide from the sudden scrutiny. Kageyama must have seen something he'd missed in his mad dash to his friend's side, he decided, giving Shoyo a once over again to be sure— but he mostly just looked wet, from the top of his head, all the way down to his feet-

Which were not only bare, but _bleeding._

"What _happened?"_ Kuroko hissed, clerk forgotten as he reached out to bring them closer, ignoring Shoyo's jerk at the touch. Carefully, he lifted and shifted his friends ankles until he could see his feet in the dim lighting, wincing as he studied the abrasions, the gravel caught in the ripped skin,the patches of skin that were completely ripped away.

 _He has to play on these tomorrow… ?_

"—have a first aid kit in the back, if you want to bring him in," The clerk was offering, tone unwavering. Like he was ready to shout down any protests, ready to strong arm them into accepting help- Kuroko answered first.

"Thank you for your help, but I have a car coming."

All gazes snapped to him- shock and disbelief and a bit of concern. "Tsu-chan?" Shoyo asked quietly, the unspoken question barely filling the air between them. Kuroko only gave him a comforting smile before turning to the clerk.

"My family is sending a car to pick us up, if you don't mind us sitting here a bit longer."

The clerk blinked a couple times, staring Kuroko down like he was trying to solve an intense puzzle, before nodding with a jerk. "If that's the case, I won't bother you— but take a couple jackets, at least. Don't want any of you getting hypothermia on my watch."

Kuroko nodded in acceptance and a bit of thanks, and the doors (and store's heat) closed to them. Kageyama whipped around to stare at Kuroko.

"What car?" he demanded.

He only sighed, hands already typing out a quick text to a number he hadn't used for months, clicking send with a sinking feeling in his gut. "It… seemed like the best plan. I don't… particularly want to see the rest of Karasuno right now," he admitted, the guilt pooling in his gut thickening when his words were met with shamed looks of silent agreement, "but we do need _somewhere_ to stay for tonight."

Hinata's feet twitched on his lap, catching Kuroko's attention and met with unveiled concern when he looked up. "Are you _sure_?"

No. He wasn't sure at all. The decision had been made between one heartbeat and the next, and wasn't something he would have _ever_ considered if the circumstances hadn't been what they were. But he couldn't say that, not when they were all staring at him like they were. "Yeah. It's only for a night or two, after all." He could bear that. He would be fine.

He would have to be.

* * *

Kageyama had been met with more questions than answers since following Kuroko out the door, but he was _really_ starting to wonder. About a lot of things. Like, whether or not his teammates were _really_ okay.

Kuroko had gone from steaming mad, to almost happy, to short and businesslike, all within a ten minute period.

Hinata had run out of the hotel without a word, ignored all attempts to get in touch, and _still_ hadn't told them anything about what had set him off.

 _And then there's that cashier and why on earth he was giving us stuff -ex_ _ **pensive stuff holy crap-**_ _for free left and right!_

But honestly, out of everything, this completely took the cake.

"Kuroko? Did you go and join the mafia while we weren't looking?"

A choked cough emanated from somewhere behind him, but he barely heard it over the sight of _the sleek black limo_ in front of them. It was so out of place in the slightly-run-down neighborhood he felt like he'd stepped onto a movie set. The water, still pouring from the heavens, slid off it like it had been coated with oil.

And maybe it had been. Kageyama certainly wouldn't be the one to know.

"No," Kuroko said, amusement slipping through his normal deadpan. And before Kageyama could congratulate himself on _finally_ catching some of the others (normal) emotions, he continued with- "Just one of the perks of being a Kuroko."

The door was being held halfway open, Kageyama part way inside when the words finally registered. He jolted, turning to face his friend, only to be met with a face full of Hinata's hair instead.

"Kage _yama_ , don't _stop!"_ the other whined, and the standard rebuttal was halfway out of his mouth, tongue literally forming the words… when Hinata winced, lifting one foot off the ground as water rushed by them.

He closed his mouth and got in the car.

Into the _limo_. With dim lighting in the backseat that showed off the plush leather seats, the tv and _minifridge._ Kuroko wasn't just Kuroko, he was a _Kuroko._

 _That doesn't even make any sense!_ The internal voice that sounded way too much like Kazu reprimanded.

 _I don't care,_ Tobio shot back. _Kuroko is a Kuroko! How did we not know this?!_

Another cough behind him propel the setter into an actual seat - _if he could find one, honestly this thing didn't even have any seatbelts!-_ giving plenty of room for Kuroko ( _the_ Kuroko!) to help Hinata into the limo - _ **limo!**_ \- and let him stretch his legs out.

The car took off without any more hesitation, and Kageyama could hardly feel the forward motion. There was barely even a buzz beneath the seat to indicate the car was _on._

"So," Kageyama broke in awkwardly, voice deadpan to mask his _absolute panic_. "You're rich."

Kuroko just laughed.

And then for several long minutes, apart from Kuroko picking at the scrapes in Hinata's feet causing Hinata himself to hiss in pain and annoyance, there was silence.

"It's not something I ever really thought I had to tell people."

Kuroko's voice was so quiet, he might not have heard it if the car hadn't been silent enough that he'd been counting his own heartbeat just to have something to listen to.

Across the car - _limo, this is a limo, why-_ Kuroko continued with, "Pretty much everyone always seems to just… _know,_ right away. I think you're the first person since Hinata to not have recognized my name."

And while Kageyama was busy digesting that, wondering how weird it must have been to grow up always having people just _know_ who you were as soon as you introduced yourself, Hinata was grumbling into the seat with a "Hey, S'not _my_ fault your family doesn't sell internationally."

"It's not for lack of trying, I dare say," Kuroko sniped back, rolling his eyes.

And Kageyama was officially lost. Kuroko was rich. He had a limo.

Hinata was grumbling out something in English, Kuroko responding in kind, and even Kageyama was smart enough to put those pieces together.

 _How did I not realize- he looks full Japanese, and speaks just fine- when did he move here?_

And hang on, he recognized at least _one_ word there, he had learned _something_ in English class after all-

"Wait, your family owns a house _here?_ So we're going to…" He said, gesturing vaguely with his hand, lost for words. Thankfully Kuroko hadn't ever needed many words to understand.

" _Mon_ _mansion,_ yeah."

And Kageyama knew _that_ word in English too, even if he'd learned it from a fairytale, and his eyebrows flew upwards without his consent as Hinata squeaked breathlessly, and nearly fell off the couch.

"Your what now?!"

Kuroko's brow furrowed. "My house?"

And Hinata was _giggling,_ face flushed for the first time since they'd found him, snorting harder when Kuroko turned to him with a baffled look. "Tsu-chan, you called it a mansion, not a _mansion._ "

And Kageyama didn't know how those sounded any different, but the English was hurting his head and there obviously was one, because now _Kuroko_ was blushing, rubbing his neck with an awkward, "Oh…"

Hinata continued to snicker quietly to himself as Kuroko pulled his face up to look at Kageyama for the first time since they'd entered the car. Limo. Whatever. " _Mansion_ is French for house. I'm sorry for the slip. It was unintentional."

The broken, stilted sentences took a long moment to process. Hinata had finally stopped giggling.

"French."

Kuroko blinked in Kageyama's direction, and he clarified. "You speak French."

And Kuroko was grimacing, but nodding slowly, fingers twisting around themselves."I'm am… French, actually. Half-french."

And that… that made some sense, however weird it was. The lighter color hair, the weird food he brought to practice most days, and even -"Is that why you don't talk a lot? So you don't slip?"

Kuroko's shoulders, which had been creeping up to his ears, slumped a little. "Not exactly? It used to be a bit of a problem-" he glanced at Hinata, who had completely lost the smile that had hung around after his giggling fit, and now looked as uncomfortable as Kuroko had been before the question.

"I did have a hard time pronouncing things right all the time, when I was younger, but middle school helped a lot with that. Now it's more . . ." He sighed in a huge gust, running a hand through his wet hair before shaking it out with a frown. "Nobody ever wanted to know me for _me_ , Kageyama-kun. It was always 'put in a good word for me' or 'so you can pay for dinner'- I've been used enough times in my life. Not talking was a good way not to add more."

What could he say to that? Kageyama had never had that problem, not even with parents who spent more time working cases than they did at home. He couldn't hope to understand how someone with so much to give people could go silent at the thought of being used for something he couldn't control.

So silence filled the car, the hum and occasional turn their only company.

"I don't think that," Hinata said quietly. Kuroko looked over at him, gaze softening to something almost brotherly. Something extra seemed to pass with the look, something Kageyama couldn't hear, something else he couldn't understand.

"I know," Kuroko replied.

The low buzzing beneath his feet came to a halt, bringing their attention to the front. The door clicked open, a nicely dressed man with kindly wrinkles around his eyes peering in at them.

" _Bonsoir,_ Master Tetsuya. So nice to see you again. May I help your friends inside?" The man's Japanese was accented in a way Kuroko's wasn't. Maybe the man was French?

Kuroko simply nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. "Good to be back, even though it's only for a little while," He said softly. Kageyama searched his face for any sign of discomfort, but there was surprisingly little- a line of tension in his shoulders, but a peaceful expression.

The man held a hand out to Hinata, who grunted, picking his way carefully to the door. The puppy whined plaintively, obviously worried for the spiker.

It wasn't the only one.

"You are injured!" The man exclaimed. Hinata shook his head vigorously.

"Alex, would you carry him in?" Kuroko implored, even as Hinata started to protest.

The man, Alex, nodded, determination filling his frame as he picked up Hinata like he didn't weigh a thing. Hinata went limp as soon as he was airborne, accepting the manhandling with surprisingly little fuss. Alex nodded at them both, eyes flicking over Kageyama before leading the way down the drive.

Kuroko paused to pick up the puppy, cradling it in the clerk's donated jacket. He glanced around as the other exited, contemplating whether or not to bring the umbrella.

 _Eh, why not._ It wasn't like he had anything else to carry.

Kageyama's feet had barely hit the pavement when his mouth dropped open. "I thought you said it _wasn't_ a mansion," He said incredulously. Kuroko hunched his shoulders, sheepish expression on his face. Kageyama just huffed, flicking the umbrella open and shielding them both from the rain. Up ahead, what looked like a guard was holding an umbrella over Hinata and Alex's heads, sacrificing his own uniform to the deluge.

"Thank you," Kuroko said, glancing up at him before down at the dog. "I don't fancy either of us getting sick. And this guy's been through enough already."

"Is your family going to be alright with you bringing a dog inside?" Kageyama asked, glancing at the towering entryway and brightly lit windows. "He won't wreck anything?"

Kuroko _scoffed._ "It's not like they're around much to care. And the servants won't mind having another dog to take care of. They're used to Bosco and Purdy's troublemaking, so Nigou won't be too much work."

He blinked, water sliding down his hand as the umbrella shifted. "Nigou?"

Kuroko nodded, mounting the steps carefully to where the house- _mansion_ \- awaited. "Number Two. Tetsuya Number Two- Shoyo saved me, and then he saved him. It's the best name I could think of."

Kageyama breathed, blinking in surprise as the guard collected the umbrella from his hands before ushering them inside. Hinata was already being taken to a chair, clean cloth rubbing the dirt from his legs.

Kuroko was shifting from side to side, looking more and more lost by the second.

"It's a good name," Kageyama said, drawing Kuroko's attention once more. The bluenet's eyes met his, looking desperate for something- _anything._ "It's a great name," he repeated, more firmly, thinking of everything Hinata had done for him- everything he'd changed.

"Yes," Kuroko said, sounding more sure of himself. "The best."

* * *

Kuroko rubbed a towel along his hair, feet padding softly against the floor towards where he could hear Hinata and Kageyama arguing.

"- not the first time I've injured my feet, and it won't be the last, either." His voice carried that usual tone of irritated teasing, but with a string of exhaustion running through it that proved just how long a day they'd had.

Kuroko had nearly fallen asleep in the bath- would have if it weren't for Nigou making a right mess of everything. He was pretty sure the servants were going to have to buy new towels. But the puppy was clean, freed from his matted fur and freshly brushed. He was trotting behind Kuroko happily, sniffing at all the new scents, nails clacking against the varnished flooring.

"-not the point, you should be more careful. What are you gonna do during the Nekoma match, huh?"

"Getting hurt never stopped me before!" Hinata shot back, just as Kuroko entered the room. Alexandre was kneeling in front of the couch, taping Hinata's feet with all the care Kuroko remembered from his childhood, an open first aid kid by his knee.

Kageyama was leaning on the couch opposite him, looking distinctly uncomfortable in the well-furnished space, like he would get yelled at if he touched anything.

Kuroko understood the feeling.

"You should take care of your body more," Kuroko interjected, watching as Nigou went sniffing around each person. Their gazes snapped to him, both of their shoulders slumping. His lips quirked upwards. "Or would you rather I tell your Mom you went traipsing off in the rain with no shoes on?"

Hinata turned, grumbling slightly. "... done that before too…"

"Now you're just repeating yourself," Kageyama said with an eye roll. Hinata shot a glare at him. Alexandre coughed as he rose, first aid kit in hand.

"Those should hold for the night- let me know if they need changed before you leave tomorrow morning." The butler waited for Hinata's stunned nod of acknowledgement before turning to Kuroko, the lines around his eyes softening.

"Would you like us to prep your room, Master Tetsuya?"

Kuroko reached down to scoop Nigou off the floor before he started gnawing on the furniture. "I'd… rather you didn't." He responded. It had been months since he stayed there- and now wasn't the best time to revisit old memories. He needed somewhere him and Kageyama and Hinata would feel comfortable, which meant…

"Could we put some futons in the game room? With extra blankets and pillows."

Alexandre nodded, lines crinkling into a smile. His heart panged. He forgot how much he adored his butler. "The game room has plenty of space," Alex explained to the other two, who nodded in bafflement. "I haven't moved the kotatsu from it's place," He continued, glancing at Kuroko, who felt his eyes tearing up.

The game room had been Kuroko's safe place. As the nursery turned playroom, it'd been the one place he could go without servants or parents following. He could make as much of a mess without them cleaning up after him, and everything would remain the same for as long as he left it.

And it had remained that way. Even though he had left, moved out of the house entirely, the room was still _his._

" _Mille mercis_ ," He said, voice thick. Then, clearing his throat and turning to the expectant looks, "Shall we?"

Kuroko led the way, holding Nigou tight to his chest as the husky's nose worked overtime to try and find all the scents. (Kuroko didn't know what was holding the dog's attention, he couldn't catch any whiff of his mother's perfume or father's cologne.) Up the main hallway, left up the staircase, right, left, left…

His ears burned at Kageyama's surprised grunt, knowing now just how large the chateau was compared to the Hinata's four bedroom home. It wasn't just the memories that had made him wary of coming back here. He didn't want to be used, but chances of that happening with these two was slim to none.

No, his fear was entirely different now.

He just…

' _Why do they stare, Alexandre?'_

' _They stare because you are special, Tetsuya'_

' _But_ why _are we special?'_

' _Because many people have only one home, and you have two. And that means your heart is twice as big, and they see that. It sets you apart.'_

Always apart. Always separate. Always different.

Always alone.

His fingers paused on the door handle, eyes catching the paper still stuck to the door by its four corners. _Tetsuya_ , it read in faded marker and clumsy hiragana. He ran his fingers over it almost unconsciously, taking in the feeling.

It had been so long since this place felt like home but _this_ room…

"Wow, I can actually read this." Hinata said, plopping his chin on his shoulder. "You had good handwriting for a kid."

"You only say that because your handwriting is terrible." Kageyama sniped back.

Kuroko huffed, shaking his head and opening the door.

He would always be a bit different. But…

Hinata bounded into the room, immediately wriggling down to snuggling under the kotatsu with Kageyama protesting all the way.

… He wasn't the only one anymore.

* * *

The knock on his door wasn't unexpected, but it _was_ later than he thought it should be.

"Come in." he called, ruffling one hand through his mostly dry hair. Normally he would have dried it by now, but after getting out of the bath, he'd checked his phone out of habit and nearly swallowed his tongue in shock.

Around the edge of the door, Daichi's pinched and guilty face peeked out, stepping further into the room when he sent a nod his way. "Coach… ah, we needed to talk to you."

 _We?_ The door opened further, Sugawara shuffling into the room behind the captain, before closing the door with a snap. The setter's face was _also_ set in a frown, which was almost more concerning than the text he'd gotten from Kageyama.

And the response he'd gotten to his follow up question. And the next one. And the _next one_.

He'd ended with way more questions than he'd gotten answers, but if these two were _finally_ here to talk to him, maybe he could fix that.

"So," he started, when the boys hesitated a bit too long after closing the door, "were you going to let me know that Hinata had run off into a thunderstorm before or after you let his _parents_ know?"

From the suddenly panicked and guilty faces, they hadn't realized that he _knew_. Or that he'd inputted all of their numbers and their _parents_ numbers as soon as he'd accepted the offer to coach for them.

"I get that you might have panicked." He continued at their _continued_ silence, "But I'm not just your coach on this trip. I'm responsible for you, _all of you,_ seeing as you're all underage, and these are the kinds of things I need to know about."

Suga seemed to master himself before Daichi did, shifting awkwardly with a "We didn't want to worry his mom until we were sure we couldn't find him."

Which, looking back, was _exactly_ the kind of bone-headed, misplaced concern his own team had operated on, way back when.

 _I'm getting old, if I'm thinking things like_ _**that.**_

"I can understand that," he sighed, shaking out the hair that was clumping up in his face, "but I'm supposed to be here to help you. I can't do that if you won't tell me things are going wrong."

Daichi sunk into a deep bow, face reddening, and Suga quickly followed. "I'm sorry. I thought we could find them on our own, before things got even more out of hand, and that was wrong of me. I'll do better in the future." A short pause then, as he was digesting that, and then Daichi was speaking again.

"Did you hear from their parents? Do they know where they are?"

 _They don't know-_ he frowned down at them, belatedly realizing that they were still bowing. "Stand up you two- Kageyama texted me to let me know where they were, and told me a bit about what happened when I asked. But I didn't really get a lot of it, so if you two could fill in the gaps that would be helpful."

The two boys exchanged glances, before taking a seat on the floor at his prompting. Something told him this was going to be a long story, and he didn't want any distractions.

"A while ago, one of Kuroko and Hinata's old teammates showed up at the gym, looking for them-"

Listening, Keishin couldn't help but wonder at how much older he felt, hanging around these kids for more than a few minutes at a time. It wasn't often obvious, just how much older he'd gotten, until he compared it to what he was seeing now.

And he was seeing _a lot_ , way more than the two teenagers seemed to realize for themselves.

 _There's something not right about this whole thing, and I can't help but feel as though I'm missing half the picture._

Oh, he knew all about Hinata and Kuroko's past. The school had been quick to fill him in on _all_ the juicy details about the famous basketball model who'd crashed the volleyball team's practice- in the hopes that it would never happen again.

" _The last thing we need is to be associated with that-_ _ **mess**_ _. Bad enough that those two went to that_ _ **Middle School**_ _in Tokyo. We don't need any more stigmas attached to this school."_

Which had lead to _way_ more research than he normally put into _any_ sport other than his own, and a very different view of the two regulars that had been coming by his store long before the team.

"I think," he sighed, as the story of just _why_ Kuroko had seen fit to abandon all reason to go after his friend finished, "that there is more going on here than we realize. Having panic attacks, _especially_ without some kind of anxiety or something, isn't normal. The fact that Kuroko has had _two,_ both times being when he's confronted with an old teammate… doesn't sit well with me. Hinata's anger as well. It may seem like a normal response, but people react to stress and fear differently."

 _Especially if it's something you can_ _ **fight**_. Which a person was.

"I looked up a bit about their old team, when I took the job." A grimace at their stunned looks. "A lot of what I heard… well, a lot of teachers have things to say about the way Teiko runs. Most of it is… not too good. I don't really blame those two for having issues, based on what that school was doing.. Is doing."

Daichi's face had lost some of its guilt, and was slowly being replaced with _worry,_ with _determination_.

"What can we do about it? There has to be some way we can help them, right?"

He couldn't help a grin of pride as he slapped his hands down on his knees, contemplating just how much he should tell them. About how damaging the ' _Never Allowed to Lose'_ mentality that Teiko had was, and his own worries at how Hinata and Kuroko would cope going forward.

But that could wait, because Suga was sighing and opening the door to a tumble of bodies and yelling, as those who had been eavesdropping spilled out onto his hotel room floor.

 _This team is going places. They just need a little help to get there._


End file.
